Tales of the FoxCat
by Ozzallos
Summary: An act of betrayal lands Ranma changed and far from home. Naruto meets a red headed girl one day while goofing off and the destinies of both are changed forever.
1. Chapter 1 v2

**Tales of the FoxCat**  
By Ozzallos

-roll credits to Bon Jovi's '_Last Man Standing_'-

**Chapter One**

"**A**re you absolutely _sure_ he won't be coming back?" The white robed figure asked with hope, adjusting his coke-bottle thick glasses as if to better discern the truth from the person in front of him.

The Lost Boy nodded with certainty, producing a fanged grin that reeked of malice. "Absolutely. He ate the mushrooms and went from eighteen to thirteen before my eyes."

"Verily?" The older boy next to the male Amazon queried, as if not quite able to believe it himself. "What did thy do next?"

The fanged grin turned downright evil. "I _so_ beat him down."

"Yes!" The raven haired master of concealed weaponry exclaimed, pumping his arm in symbolic victory. The bokken wielding upper-classman's reaction was a tad more sedate.

"Are you sure he is felled?" The deranged kendoist balanced his wooden practice blade lightly across a shoulder. "It would not do for him to reappear after explanations have been given."

"I left him for dead myself." The bandanna'd boy in question replied in a slightly perturbed tone that indicated his annoyance at being doubted.

"They won't find his body, will they?" The Amazon boy asked tentatively. No, his rivals' reappearance would not do at all once the cover story was told. "Where _did_ you leave it?"

The Lost Boy seemed to think on this for a moment, absently scratching his chin. "Um, Mt. Rushmore?"

* * *

Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts groaned as he pushed himself up from the dirt, spitting out a mouthfull of it as he did. Not that Ranma wasn't accustomed to the tasted of dirt in the his quest to be the best martial artist, just that it didn't go well with the headache that was driving a railroad spike through his head at the moment. The memories leading up to his dirt nap were hazy, but intact. There was the training mission with Ryoga… He cooked something up for the both of them and watched Ryoga become a giant? No, that wasn't right, Ranma mentally revised as he stood up on wobbly legs. The martial artist stumbled and leaned against one of the many trees around him. Ryoga hadn't grown… He himself had _shrank_. 

Realization hit Ranma like a mallet, causing him to take stock of his physical self. Or_ herself_, Ranma rapidly realized, but the curse was the least of her problems at the moment. She was definitely smaller at the moment, and a nearby puddle of water from the recent rain confirmed her fears. She hadn't simply shrank, she had _de-aged_, to about twelve or thirteen, unless she missed her guess. The girl in the puddle frowned first, then her face contorted with anger as the full implications of what had happened hit home. That honorless bastard had snuck mushrooms into her soup! Most people would think nothing of such an ingredient, but Ranma had encountered _these_ particular mushrooms before. They had age-altering properties, and her last encounter with them had wound her biological clock back even further than her present age.

Small consolation, Ranma grumbled mentally, and tore her gaze away from the puddle. The rest of the memories flowed to the surface quite easily now. Thus disadvantaged, Ryoga made quick work of her handicapped body. Even so, the recount of the fight made her smile darkly. She may have been on the losing end of the physical power curve, but the pig found out the hard way that her vast ki reserves were fully intact and accessible. Her endurance, strength and ability to absorb physical damage, however, were not. Sure, she had made the pig-boy pay in cash for his trespass, but when you're dealing with an opponent as powerful as Ryoga with only a thirteen year old body to do the job, a couple hits were all it took. Pain continued to pulse through every joint, and the black and blue bruises would be obvious to anybody who saw them. Obviously the traitor decided more than a couple hits were required to finish the job.

The diminutive redheaded girl took a deep breath and doubled over with a hacking cough. Blood splattered on the ground and she winced. Great, she thought. Internal bleeding. Normally, she had total confidence in her body's ability to heal all but the most critical of damage, but she now wore the body of an early teen and had been subjected to a beating by one of the best martial artists in the world. Ranma wiped the blood from her lips, smearing it across the now oversized sleeve of her red silk shirt. It too showed signs of extreme abuse. Still, she was confident of her body's ability to heal the wounds. After all, she had come through her old man's training well enough. Ryoga's torture had been intense, but relatively short in duration. The stuff she endured under ol' Pops, however, had gone on for _months_. The redhead tried to suppress the pain, and moved on to the next priority beyond personal damage assessment…

_Like where the hell was she?_

In a forest, that much was obvious. But where that forest was, she hadn't a clue. Ranma had trained at damn near every major martial arts site from Tokyo to Beijing, and this wasn't one of them. At least she still had the bastard's footprints to follow, she noted with satisfaction upon finding Ryoga's trail. She silently thanked God that the previous rain had been a light one, just enough to activate her curse, but not wash away her lifeline. Ranma followed the trail another fifty feet before being led into a clearing, where they abruptly terminated. She found the nearest tree and leaned against it in exhaustion. Great. Just great. The Lost Boy got himself lost into thin air like a damn ninja. Ranma looked out across the clearing and the open view it afforded. Blue skies, light fluffy clouds and a clear horizon. All of which narrowed down her location to a few million places on the planet Earth. All in all, it was a beautiful day for Ryoga's ass-beating… If she ever found him again. The martial artists dark musings were interrupted by a curious sight as she continued to take in her surroundings.

Was that… _Mount Rushmore_ in the distance?

Goddamn Ryoga left me for dead in _America?_ Ranma's brain boggled with incredulity. How he'd even gotten her here was a question best left for scholars and sages. After all, anybody who could get lost in a hallway closet could likely get lost _to_ anywhere as well. Ranma picked over the faces on the granite face in the distance. That one was probably Washington… Maybe Lincoln off to the left. Between the two was Donald Trump, and she didn't know who the last one was for the life of her. Ranma mentally congratulated herself and her retention of history studies. Three out of four wasn't too bad. Maybe Ms. Hinako's English lessons would come in handy after all… At least, those she hadn't slept through.

Ranma Saotome reviewed her options silently. She could continue to try and pick up what was left of Ryoga's trail, or she could go see Mount freakin' Rushmore. The latter seemed the more appealing of the two ideas, as Ryoga's trail was only going to get colder and the possibility of tracing it more remote… The ass had found his way to America after all. God only knew where _else_ it'd lead. She looked at the stone faces in the distance one more time. Mount Rushmore, on the other hand, was a major tourist attraction, which meant people to help her with her injuries and give her food. After all, who would refuse to help a cute, beat up thirteen year old girl? Ranma looked at Ryoga's footprints one last time. Yep. Better than limping around out here in the wild coughing up blood.

Besides, she was gonna need to be in top form when it came time to hand Pig-boy the beating of his life. Maybe stop in China along the way back and call in a few favors from Herb. Ranma smiled ferally as she turned toward her new destination. He had actually tried to kill her. Locking his curse wasn't at all out of the question at this point, right?

Oh yes, Ranma thought grimly. Honor between us is official dead.

* * *

America was weird, Ranma was observing as she walked through the town at the base of Mt. Rushmore. Every film she had seen of the United States indicated either a metropolis on par with downtown Tokyo or some town out of the wild west. Therefore it came as somewhat of a surprise to find that America- or at least this small corner of it -looked quite a bit like Japan... The deeper into the town she journeyed, the more eerie it became as the local language appeared to be Japanese, from spoken word, to the signs over the various stores she walked by. 

Ranma Saotome's brain mentally noted the discrepancies, which in turn kicked up her alert level another notch. She may have had a younger body at the moment, but that didn't prevent her from accessing the numerous and formidable ki abilities at her disposal, and she soaked in the ambient power levels of the villagers surrounding her. What she found not only surprised her, but caused her to notch another level of alert to her reconnaissance. The village was chalk full of high energy levels, and she reflexively suppressed her own to avoid standing out. Things were getting _too_ weird, and she began to sense she was walking an unseen tightrope. Wherever she actually was, she was doubting it was the United States with each step she took. Ranma nearly stumbled as she rounded a corner, spying a trio of... Ninjas! ...as they walked by.

The redhead tried to keep her observations covert, studying the psuedo-ninjas carefully... 'Pseudo' because their was as much 'shock trooper' in their gear as there was traditional ninja styling. Was that _body armor?_ It took everything Ranma had to keep from outright staring. The trio passed without so much a glance in her direction and she pressed her power levels down further as full realization rained down around her. Ranma studied the enormous granite faces hanging above her. Mount Rushmore my ass, she groused internally. Wherever she was, she was in it, and in it _dee_p. The town she had stumbled upon was like some Japanese ninja parody gone horribly wrong.

And people were starting to stare.

No, it wasn't because she was one of the best martial artists of her generation. It was because of all the facts she was initially counting on to gain her aid were now totally inappropriate for the situation she was facing. The last thing she was wanting now was excess attention, and her wounds and tattered clothing were succeeding in gaining it admirably.

"Are you okay, little girl?"

Ranma froze as the inevitable question came from her right. She turned slowly and found an older woman peering at her from the counter of a ramen stand. No, she wasn't a ninja, but she the threat she represented was still quite substantial.

"Little girl?" Then the came the even worse question. "Where are your parents?"

Luckily, she was somewhat prepared for just such an eventuality. "Look! Hally's Comet!"

Ranma pointed skyward and the woman followed the point of her finger. "What's a comet? Where'd you go little girl?"

The redhead was asked that same question no less than four more times before extracting herself to the monument in order to gain herself some thinking room without the constant threat of being mothered into a compromising situation. The top of un-Rushmore also afforded her an excellent view of the town itself, which Ranma noted was as odd as its inhabitance. Like the ninjas that wandered around it, the place was an odd fusion of retro-feudalism and trailing edge technology, compared to the Tokyo she had only recently left. Ranma clutched her side once more. The decision to shrug off help hadn't been easy, especially against the prospect of free food, but one thing Ranma knew was tactics, and she had enough sense to realize she was treading through a minefield. Planning generally didn't treat the martial artist kindly, but if there was a day to do some...

"_Look at all that!"_  
"_You'll pay for this!"_  
"_Stop this doing this everyday!"_  
"_Hey, Stop causing this!"_

Ranma peered over the edge of one of the granite faces to find a blond spiky-haired boy, hanging from a rope that she hadn't noticed until now. On the ledge further below were the people causing the commotion, several of the upset weird ninja. The boy himself was speckled with paint, undoubtedly a result of the can of paint he was holding. The cries to order were largely ignored by the boy, who continued in his strangely abstract artistic endeavor with a smile.

"They look kinda pissed."

The spikey haired boy froze, looking up into a pair of blue eyes that weren't there five minutes ago. What the heck was a girl doing up here? "Hmmf!" The smirk reappeared. "They're just mad because they can't so something like this! But I can! I'm incredible!"

Naruto Uzumaki watched as the redhead arched a skeptical eyebrow. "I ain't so sure about that."

"What do you mean?" The smirk disappeared and he eyed him with an air of hostility.

The girl looked beyond him, as if she were seeing _through_ the crowd below. "They're all pumping out some decent power levels." She paused, cocking her head in consideration. "I could take out a couple of 'em maybe, but it'd be dicey in this--" The redhead blinked before cutting her commentary short.

An angry frown spread across Naruto's face. "Hey! I'm the best there is! In fact--!"

"What the hell are you doing during class time!" And angry voice bellowed and a younger man separated himself from the hostile crowd. "GET DOWN HERE YOU MORON! And who the hell is that up there with you!"

The redhead's eyes widened and Naruto began to panic, flailing around wildly. "Yikes! That's Iruka Sensei!"

Ranma stared at the ninja below and decided it was time for a tactical withdraw. The last thing she intended on was becoming an item of interest to the village authorities, and the local truant officer was definitely a bad start down that road. "Sorry bro, gotta go!" Even as Ranma turned back from the ledge, she felt a ripple of power at her back, causing her to spin around from her crouch. Before her stood stood one of the combat garbed ninjas, this one with gray hair, a mask covering his left eye and half his face. The fact that he had found her was bad enough, and the fact that he was packing some serious power didn't help. All of which led her to one, decisive conclusion... "Aw, shit."

"And exactly who do we have here, Mmm?"

* * *

Kakashi Hatake studied the girl he had escorted to the local hospital with piercing interest. Of course, one had to wonder where she had gotten such a hard beating, but that wasn't the his primary concern. What had captured the Jounin's attention was her _walk_. Even injured, she moved with a grace that indicated skill and training... years of it, if he were any judge. She wasn't radiating any sort of power to speak of, but that meant absolutely nothing to him and his observations. In fact, her power levels were suspiciously low when contrasted against what he was seeing in the girl. Sure, it might be her injuries, but the odd looking redhead was carrying herself like a tightly coiled spring, which in turn caused him to keep some measure of guard up. 

No, this girl wasn't what she seemed _at all_.

"This is pretty bad, even for one of your students, Kakashi..." The nurse on duty commented as she applied another bandage to one of the girls' many wounds. "Whatever training you were engaged in, I'd advise not doing it again."

"She's not a student." The ninja remarked, causing the nurse to pause ever so slightly in her ministrations. She was almost able to carry on as if what was said was inconsequential, much to her credit. Kakashi could almost see what was chruning through her head at the moment... If the girl wasn't even a Genin or trainee, then the wounds she was currently dressing indicated a series of disquieting events surrounding her.

"Have the parents been informed?" The blond nurse inquired casually as she spread suave over a bruise. The redhead winced ever so slightly, but remained silent. Even more disturbing was that she knew nearly every child in the village in one capacity or another, and she was sure she hadn't seen this one before. The answer came all to predictably.

"She's not from the village either." Nurse Aoki simply nodded, accepting the fact as she continued her work.

"Well, at least we found a little girl under all that dirt." She commented brightly, only to be greeted by a guarded, emotionless look. Not good. "Well, lie back there while I have a word with Hatake sensei." The girl simply did as she was told, lying back in the hospital bed she had been seated upon during the course of her examination. Aoki pulled Kakashi to the side.

"I'm not ruling out some sort of trauma beyond the wounds." She lowered her voice as the two found another corner of the room. "The beating could be consistent with child abuse, and rape isn't out of the question at this point, though I won't know that until I get a full examination form her."

The Ninja shook his head. "Possibly, but not all those wounds are the passive sort." The white robed nurse cocked her head in curiosity. "I'm not a physician, but I've seen battle wounds too many times too miss them."

"Continue, please..."

"I'd guess she took the majority of the damage lying down, but a few of the wounds almost have to be combat related." Kakashi explained and the nurse nodded thoughtfully.

"All of which begs the question as to who did it." Aoki finished.

"And why." Kakashi agreed.

"Well, I can keep her here under observation while she recovers," Aoki explained, casting a look at the redhead across the room, who in turn was staring at the pair intently. "At least until you find out who she is. Maybe I can get some clues talking to her."

"Appreciated. Keep me informed then." The one-eyed Ninja inclined his head gratefully and left the nurse to her own devices. He'd also have to remember to assign the room a guard in case the person who beat the girl up returned... or she tried to leave before they found out who she was.

* * *

Ranma Saotome hit the ground with a slight wobble, sunlight pouring across her face once more. The nurse had been nice enough, but after all the time spent around Nabiki Tendo, she recognized subtle probes for information when she heard them. Mistaken for a thirteen year old girl was bad enough. Mistaken for a thirteen year old girl in a place she sincerely doubted should _exist_ was quite another matter. The total lack of information could get her killed if she just spilled her guts to any random person, especially around people like that Kakashi person. Ranma hated to admit it, but she probably couldn't go toe to toe with somebody like that in her present body and state. He had power and moved like he knew how to use it. What was more, she was certain he had seen beyond the hurt little girl routine. Sure, the guard at her door could have been left for her own safety, but Ranma was somehow doubting it. Luckily, escape proved a simple matter. 

And God only knew what they'd do when they found out about the curse.

The redheaded girl eyed the rooftops and felt an instinctual need to gain their height as drill into her through over fifteen years of Anything Goes training, but suppressed the urge for two reasons. While it would give her more mobility, the rooftops also afforded more visibility as well. She was better off sticking to the busy surface streets for anominitys' sake. Second, roof-hopping would only aggravate her nicely bandaged injuries at this point. Even so, Ranma recognized the need for a better lay of the land, and the best spot for that was back atop un-Rushmore.

Ranma began to trace the path she had used earlier to ascend the monument, ensuring that she wasn't being followed along the way. The trip up to the granite heads also gave her enough time to reflect on another disturbing development… Her body was quiet. For the first time in nearly three years, the shift to her cursed female form wasn't accompanied by the annoying 'itch' that followed the transformation. It always felt like the body didn't belong to her when Ranma took on the cursed form, and that feeling- more than anything -was a primary cause for her incessant need for hot water. The body wasn't natural to 'himself' and it went to great lengths to let him know it wasn't. Walking around as a female was always accompanied by a buzzing itch, an annoying distraction that Ranma had learned to screen sometime ago. While she couldn't outright ignore the feeling of her own skin squirming, she had learned to work through it.

Now it was gone. _Totally_.

For the first time in three years, the curse almost wasn't. Ranma leapt up another stair pathway, nearing the top of her goal. Hot water would probably still work, but one of the imperatives to quickly revert back to a guy had been removed entirely. The only analogy the martial artist could come up with was that it felt more like wearing a silk shirt than the scratchy wool sweater of old. Of course, her gender sense was still that of a guy and she would always prefer that over the alternative, but somehow it had become far less disquieting to wear the girl, and Ranma wasn't sure if that was a good or bad development.

She mounted the head named Donald Trump and was greeted to a curious sight, which in turn led to a bout of annoyance. There was the spiky haired kid again, minus the paint and brush. The annoyance faded as she noticed a pail of soap and rag in his hand. Ah, cleaning detail, Ranma thought with a smirk. She paused for a moment and considered the boy carefully. He apparently didn't have much love for the ninjas she observed in their last encounter, which could make him an ideal source of information. That, and it would only be a matter of time before her escape was noted and she'd need answers by then, preferably ones that wouldn't raise too many questions. There was always the option of abandoning the town outright, but given her condition and lack of resources…

"Feh, that's what you get, baka."

Naruto stopped his scrubbing to stare at the redheaded girl perched above him with a smile directing in his general direction. The spiky haired boy's already dark mood deepened further as evidence by the scowl on his face. "Bah. Like I care. Who are you anyway?"

Ranma mentally calculated the risk in giving him an answer and shrugged. "Ranma Saotome." She purposely left off the rest of her formidable title for the moment. "You're.. Um... Nar..."

"Naruto Uzumaki." The frown lessened. "Whatcha doin' here anyway?"

Oh, just pumping you for information like Nabs, not that you need to know that... "Was bored. Thought I'd have a look around. What are _you_ doin' up here anyway?"

Naruto gave her a piercing stare and shrugged. "I'm gonna be the best Hokage ever!"

The look the boy received at his proclamation was absolutely devoid of comprehension. "What's a 'hokage'?"

Naruto's eyes widened and jaw dropped. "What's a Hokage!" Ranma simply blinked. "Only the best, most important person in the village!" The boys eyes narrowed suspiciously. "_Say_, where _you_ from anyway?"

Power flared at Ranma's back. This time she didn't even bother to turn around. "That's what I would like to know."

It was the voice of the one-eyed ninja. Crap.

"And what are you doing slacking off, Naruto!" Another voice came. It wasn't an angry tone, but there was no doubt that it was calling the boy in front of him into account, who in turn scowled.

"Not like I have anybody to go home to."

Now it was Ranma's turn to frown. There was considerable spite in the spiky haired kid's last comment. It reminded her all too much of Ryoga. She didn't know the kid from Adam, but the last thing she wanted to see in the world was another pig like the one who had betrayed her. Ranma knew exactly what it took to produce that particular breed of human-- Start with no parents, mix in some spite, add in a little revenge. Cook to 450 degrees, sprinkle with self-loathing and hate, and you have yourself one terminally depressed, self destructive human being who will blame everybody for his problems but himself. Not that Ranma went into such in depth analysis herself, but she recognized the signs instinctual. It didn't help that she had had a hand in their creation with the pig-boy, either. The only saving grace with this Naruto was that he hadn't seen that path to it's inevitable conclusion... yet.

She was probably going to regret this, but... "Aww, what the hell." Ranma groused as she hopped lightly down to the tress Naruto was working on. Three sets of eyes tracked her with curiosity as she picked up one of the many rags soaking in the bucket of soap. She glanced at the pair of adults that now stood above her. "Well?"

One-Eye held her gaze a moment longer and shrugged. "After you're finished then." Ranma returned with a lopsided grin. He_ knew_, but maybe she wasn't in it as deep as she thought.

"And Naruto..." The boy in question tore his gaze away from his new helper. Iruka considered him thoughtfully. "I'll buy you some ramen tonight... If you clean all this up. Maybe your friend too."

Ranma blinked and Naruto lit up like a Christmas tree. "OK! I'll work hard! I will!" The redhead couldn't help but to grin now. Free food was always a good ice breaker.

Iruka smiled. He wouldn't have if he had known the promise he had just made to the two most formidable appetites in Konoha, and the impact they would have on his wallet.

* * *

_Well, now I know what a 'Hokage' is_, Ranma thought as the man known as Iruka explained it over a round of hot ramen. If she weren't still guarding herself mentally, Ranma and her stomach would have been eternally grateful for the hot meal. The part about the fox demon attacking the village had been especially interesting. An ordinary person where she was from might have been surprised at its mention, but not Ranma. That sort of strangeness was simply par for the course after the Phoenix incident and so many others. 

"One day I'm going to get the Hokage name..." Naruto replied enthusiastically, "And then I'm going to surpass all the previous Hokages!" The proclamation resonated within Ranma, who couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. If there was one thing she recognized in this messed up situation, it was the drive to be the best, and she was beginning to like this kid in spite of herself. Conversation descended into chit-chat as Ranma artfully deflected the probing questions directed at her. She was thankful when talk finally turned to Naruto's impending test tomorrow in... Ninja school? It would have almost been funny to the martial artist if both teacher and student weren't seriously discussing the matter. Iruka and Naruto began to talk on what it took to become a ninja and Ranma was left to review what she had come to know of this town in the last twelve hours. 'Konoha', as she had come to know the town through casual conversation, seemed to be something of a modern feudal japan, where life revolved around the ninja. It was almost too much to believe if she hadn't been walking through that reality for most of the day now.

"Okay, It's time for you to get going," Iruka informed Naruto after his third bowl of ramen. Part of the ststement was professional concern, while the other part of it was fear of bankruptcy, as both children consumed their bodyweight in food. "You have the test tomorrow, after all."

Naruto paused in his food intake and frowned. Tests. The emotion rapidly evaporated as his inner fire resurfaced just as quickly. "I'll show you I'm the best!" The boy hopped from his seat at the ramen stand and glanced at the redheaded girl before bounding off into the night. "See ya tomorrow!"

The remaining two watched Naruto disappear into the night. An uncomfortable silence settled between them.

"Will he?"

Ranma looked directly at the teacher and found herself focusing on the scar that crossed the bridge of his nose. A blade made that, she noted. On a better day, she could have taken him regardless of the body she wore, but today wasn't that day and there was no doubt as to his combat readiness. She swept the area with her senses and found the suppressed power signature of the one-eyed ninja on a nearby rooftop. They weren't taking any chances. Ranma held her gaze on Iruka for a moment, then purposely looked out into the night where his unseen companion stood watch.

"Sure, why not." Ranma produced a self-confident smile, turning back to Iruka. "'Ruto ain't the only one that don't have anything to go back to tonight."

Iruka stared at the girl. Kakashi was right... There was _definitely_ more to this girl than met the eye. There wasn't much, but every once in a while he'd catch a small spike of power that slipped past her shielding, and there was no denying the skill that hid within her movements. She even knew where Kakashi was out there, and _that_ said a lot. Regardless, the girl had obviously taken a beating.

"Questions can wait for tomorrow." He stated and led the way beck to the hospital. "Until then, you can use the hospital."

Ranma nodded. Nice to know the inquisition could wait till tomorrow.

* * *

Dawns rays filtered into the room as the Third Hokage of Konoha studied the battered redhead before him carefully. Five-two, thirteen years old and an exotic air about her. Red wasn't exactly a common color. She was also hiding something, that much was obvious. Even if he hadn't seen her for himself, there weren't many that could put Kakashi on edge, let alone a simple, beat-up thirteen year old girl. The fact that the Copy-Cat ninja had even brought her to his attention spoke volumes in itself. You just didn't bother the leader of the village over some waif, after all. Sarutobi stroked the white patch of hair at his chin and probed deeper. Power. She had it and was guarding it damn well. How much she was hiding was uncertain, but Kakashi and Iruka were right. Even injured, she didn't move like a novice. The girl was a Genin, _at least_. 

"So what can we do for you...?" He let the question trail off with an unspoken request for a name or some other form of identification.

"Ranma Saotome." The redhead replied in a guarded tone. "As to what you can do for me..." She paused for a moment, considering her next words carefully. "Ever hear of a place called Tokyo?" The blank looks from the Hokage and One-Eyed Ninja said it all. "Damn."

"Are you from this Tokyo?" The elder asked, and Ranma simply nodded. "Can you point it out on a map?"

"Maybe." Sarutobi pulled out a long scroll and untied its binding, unrolling the parchment across the table he sat. The redhead frowned as she studied the map. A curse was heard muttered. "This all of it?" The Hokage nodded.

He gave the girl another studied look and pursed his wrinkled lips. "Perhapses we should start somewhere else. How did you sustain your wounds?"

The neutral expression the girl had worn since their meeting faltered. "A friend."

Sarutobi nodded. Her tone said it all. Betrayal. "Is this 'friend' a threat? You must understand that the protection of this village and everybody in it are my responsibility."

She shook her head. "Think he's long gone by now. 'Cides, if he comes back, I'll deal with him myself." There was no mistaking the meaning behind her words. She _would_ 'deal' with him, despite her age or diminutive stature, which inevitably led to the next question that Kakashi fielded.

"Are_ you_ a threat?"

The little girl turned back to the One-Eyed ninja, who held a respectful distance from her. Respectful, and ready to counter any threat. "Me? Naw. Just a little lost is all."

"So lost that you can't find your own village on a map." Kakashi observed, stepping fully into the role of 'bad guy' opposite Sarutobi's good guy.

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Look, if I were a threat, you'd be the first to know it."

"Said the little girl."

Her gaze narrowed sharply on the ninja and suddenly the room flooded with power. Kakashi took a reflexive step back as it slapped against him like an unseen wave. A single eye widened. "Yeah," She bristled with enough heat to back up the elevated power emanating from her. "_Said the little girl._"

Sarutobi was torn between chuckling at Kakashi and marveling at the surprise his goading revealed. Even he couldn't have suspected the power levels residing in the girl. She had dropped her shields in there entirety, enabling him to see deeper within her. Whatever she looked like, there was no way a thirteen year old should be lit up like _that_. And her chakra... It was... One dimensional? That was an oddity in itself, let alone that there was something deeper--

The girl turned around and he suddenly found himself captured by her glittering blue eyes that spoke of experience beyond their years. "Find everything yer lookin' for, old man?"

This time it was the Hokage that was taken back. _No_ thirteen year old should be able to detect his probing. "I see."

He did. The redhead knew it. "Look, I ain't no threat. I just had a really bad day yesterday."

"But you're not what you seem." Kakashi remarked in a somewhat less hostile tone.

"Yes and no. All I can say is this is me. Kinda." She sighed, shaking her head.

"A gesture of good will would be appreciated." The Hokage stated, a sentiment with which Kakashi fully agreed. Ranma looked from the old man, to the One-Eyed ninja, then back.

"Alright, fine. Got any hot water?"

* * *

**Author's notes;**

Ok, yes, I should be working on tBoT part 7 or Kunoification, but this is an itch I had to scratch for a few reasons. Regardless, whether it gets more chapters is up to you, but for now, back to work on tBoT part 7 (2.2kW) and Kunoification part 2 (3.3kW).

**Chakra vs Ki**- _For the purpose of this fic, I equate them as to being almost the same. At very least, they are the same base form of spiritual power, but formed and processed at different levels. The best analogy I've come up with so far is Ranma is AM radio versus Naruto's chakra being FM radio; That being you can do things with FM you just can't do with AM because of the differences. This is best rationalized by the fact that that so many more things seem possible with Chalkra (walking up walls, etc) than straight ki. Not to say Ranma's ki is useless, as it is effectively almost the same thing. Even AM radio has its advantages._

**Ranma vs Xover**- _I do plan on balancing Ranma's level against the ninjas of Naruto-world in several ways, if this fic is continued. First, he is now 13 and physically underpowered, though he will retain his 18 year old ki capacity and martial arts skill. Even so, he has never been able to walk up trees and such, and will find a new mastery to engage in as he learns the subtleties of chakra, a higher bandwidth version of ki (see butchered explanation above). Likewise, many of the Ninjas in Naruto's world are weapons specialists. Ranma is not. Skilled, yes, but I do not see the mastery in him that, say, a Jounin has attained and it will be an advantage in their favor. It works in my brain, at least. (no, I don't consider Mousse in this category, being the primary weapon user in Ranma ½. His "skill" seems to be one of quantity over quality). Also, Ranma is now forced to adapt to a 13 year old body, which means not everything will track as smoothly as before until he adapts. I figure all of this will render Ranma's substantial skill levels reasonable enough to interact believably in the Naruto universe._

_Finally, I don't consider Ranma the Nerima equivolent of "Fuzzy Eyebrows" since Ranma can projechis power beyond his own body, something Rock Lee cannot do.  
_

**Ryoga**_- Since it's already come up, I'm adding this. No I do not think Ryoga is so honorable as to be above being a murder with the right motivations. Canon has seen more than one instance where Ryoga has been driven into a senseless rage, and the one that is the most glaringly obvious is when Ranma undergoes the HSH training. At first 'honorable' Ryoga did Protect Ranma and even refused to fight him in his weakened state, but convininently forgo honor when he misconstrues Ranma's comments on Akane minutes later. He lapses into a berserker rage without regard to the facts or Ranma's pathetic state, in which he could easily kill Saotome. Ryoga's convinient lapses of honor and common sense have happened more than once through the series. Trimatter and I have discussed this at length and he disagrees, but I'm sticking by my guns here :p  
_

**Matchups-**_ Fear not, I won't be doing a Ranma + boyfriend. His comfort in the girl form has nothing to do with the intended matchup I have in mind, and has more to do with a plot device DCG suggested._

Edits- v2: Konoha's spelling corrected, further ANs added._  
_


	2. Chapter 2 v2

**Tales of the Foxcat**  
By Ozzallos  
Part 2

**T**wo ninjas stood over a small puddle of water inhabited by a thirteen year old boy, their eyes widening as the water dripped from his person. The fact that he- then a _she_ -had asked for a cup of warm water in response to their questioning was a minor thing. The fact that she gave them a sly wink, then promptly upturned it over her head _did _come as a surprise. Then came the fact that 'she' changed into a 'he', prompting the wide eyed stare, which in turn elicited a weary sigh from the boy. Evidentially he was used to just such reactions.

Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konoha studied the boy in front of him carefully, trying to pierce the illusionary technique he had used, only to discover it wasn't an illusion at all. The Ranma girl had actually transformed into a boy. His eyes flicked over to Kakashi, who voiced the Hokage's own thoughts word for word.

"It's real."

The Elder nodded, probing further. The girl-turned-boy wasn't expending any energy to maintain the transformation, which ruled out quite a few possibilities. Was it a natural ability? A _bloodline?_ And why the water?

"Yes, yes and I'm a guy." The boy replied to the as yet unanswered, but inevitable questions with a crooked smile that no thirteen year old boy had any right owning. "Yes, I really did just transform from a girl into a boy. Yes, the change is complete, near as I can tell." Kakashi arched a single eyebrow, the only eyebrow visible, in fact. That about answered all his initial questions.

The red and white robed Hokage arched an eyebrow as well. "Were you born--" He asked hesitantly, only to be interrupted as soon as the question left his lips.

"No." Ranma replied, answering yet another question he'd been asked one too many times. "It's a curse, very tragic tale, blah blah blah." The boy in front of the pair sighed. "Long story short, cold water girl, warm water guy."

"Cursed." The one-eyed ninja commented in a word that was equal parts question and statement. "Normally you have to do something bad to get cursed." He added, still playing the role of devils advocate to the boy's presence.

"Feh." The boy rolled his eyes. "Only if you count getting dragged around China by my old man."

"China is a place...?" Sarutobi questioned, studying the enscrolled map once more.

"A place that ain't on that map." Ranma frowned. "Dammit, I am _so_ gonna beat the crap outta pig-boy if I ever see him again." The pigtailed boy paused, and the frown faded into a wistful smile. "Course, that _does_ mean a break from the fiancées..."

"Fiancée?" Kakashi asked, somewhat surprised at the turn in conversation. What was a thirteen year old girl-cursed-boy doing with a fiancée, let alone plural fiancées? Ranma noticed the look.

"Don't even get me started."

Kakashi nodded, taking the boy's reaction at face value. He still seemed somewhat guarded, but unless the kid was a master at acting, his body language and facial expressions read like an open book. The Third Hokage scritched his gray chin thoughtfully.

"So as I understand the situation, you have no idea where you are, and lack the means of getting back." He eyed the boy, who simply nodded at the statements. "You're also injured, and if your statements are accurate, are totally cut off from everybody you know."

Ranma frowned as the full weight of his predicament rained down him with absolute clarity. "Damn, you don't have to make it sounds so bleak, but yeah, that's about it."

"You also have at least one enemy willing to kill you and suffer from a gender curse." Kakashi added in for good measure. "Anything else you'd like to tell us?"

"Mmmmm..." The boy pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Just that I'm really eighteen years old?"

From nearly anybody else and at any other time, The Hokage would have dismissed that as pure fabrication on the boy's part. But after witnessing the boy's transformation only minutes earlier, he was leaning toward belief. "Another... curse?"

"Magic mushrooms." Ranma stated, waving the fact aside as if it were something that happened every day. "I am SO going to hurt the pig-boy."

Sarutobi looked at the boy, then to Kakashi, and an unspoken agreement seemed to pass between the two. The Elder nodded, seeming to have come to a decision. "I will allow you to remain in the village long enough to recover from the wounds. Beyond that depends on your honor." He leveled a serious gaze upon the boy, who stared back unflinchingly. "I will need some assurance that you will not cause harm to this village or those within."

"You got my word as a martial artist." The Ranma replied with equal gravity. Of the few possessions he had in this life, honor was his most prized. "And I don't intend on no freeloadin' either."

A sour expression accompanied the last statement, and the Hokage attributed it to yet more of the boy's obscure history. The title of 'martial artist' didn't go unnoticed either. "Good enough. After you've recovered somewhat, we'll have one of the nurses give you a proper introduction to Konoha."

* * *

Ranma Saotome, Heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts wandered through the open air of odd village once more, having shaken his regular bedside escort back at the hospital. Giving him fitting clothing and food was nice and all, but he just couldn't stand staring at that ceiling all day. Besides, his healing abilities were already kicking in. The fresh air and sunlight would do him good. The martial artists made his way down the streets, taking in the sights and more notably, the village inhabitance. With his introduction to the village leader, he was now able to explore in a less covert manner, and found himself staring at the village ninja intently. While one layer of Ranma's brain took in their physical appearance, another sized up the tactical threat they posed reflexively. They looked so different from the ninjas of his home that Ranma began to unconsciously dub them 'combat ninja', as their gear definitely indicated a role beyond that of behind the scenes subversion. In fact, Ranma was quite sure they could hold their own on the front lines given their armament and power levels. 

The fact that they seemed to be an integral part of village life was also a revelation. Nobody seemed to bat an eye when a high powered, heavily armed Ninja walked by, nor did it seem as if they acted as the village police force. Ranma had seen dictoral henchmen before and these weren't them, yet there were enough of them to form a sizable strike force. All of which begged the question... What does a quiet village do with an army of combat ninjas? The pigtailed martial artist looked up at the giant granite heads that hung overhead. Hokages, he noted mentally. He still didn't know the fullest extent of their deeds, but you didn't get your face carved into a mountainside for doing nothing, Ranma thought, turning his attention back to the village he was strolling thought. The fact that he had the blessing of one of them helped his explorations immensely. Sure, he had shaken his regular bedside escort, but they weren't the ones he was worried about. It was the unseen escort approximately five hundred feet back at his five o'clock that had his attention. Ranma shrugged mentally. He couldn't really blame 'em, honestly. Even _he'd_ be a bit wary of a thirteen year old kid with as much baggage just popping up out of nowhere.

"What's up, 'Ruto?" Ranma asked absently, as he rounded a corner, nearly running into an excited blond haired kid. The chance meeting didn't even register in his brain until the boy in question stopped in his tracks, staring at the pigtailed martial artist.

The exuberant smile disappeared abruptly. "Who're you?"

Ranma paused mid step as he passed Naruto, then mentally chaste himself for neglecting his gender curse yet again. "Ranma Saotome, remember me?"

Naruto squinted at him intently, leaning into his face. "Didn't you have red hair yesterday?"

Ranma blinked. Yeah, and I was a girl too, dummy. "Uh, yeah. Somethin' like that. Say how'd you do on the test?"

The change in subject worked, much to Ranma's relief. There was just no end to the awkward situations the damn curse could get him into. "I passed!" Naruto's wide smile diminished. "Well, kinda."

"Kinda?"

"Well, Iruka-sensei failed me on the cloning technique." The sound of bitter disappointment accompanied the statement, but quickly passed. The word 'technique' captured Ranma's attention in full. "But Mizuki-sensei is gonna let me retake it tonight!"

Ranma almost wasn't paying attention to anything after the mention of the cloning technique, and he began comparing the words to his own vast storehouse of techniques. He immediately thought of the closest analog in his arsenal, Splitting Cat Hairs, and began to wonder how the two differed. If he could only see it in action...

"I'm sure to pass!" Naruto finished brightly, Ranma having missed the bulk of his enthusiastic explanation as to who, what, where and why. There was only one thing he was interested in, however.

"Can I see the technique in action?" Ranma asked and Naruto paused in his narrative.

"Cloning ain't my best technique, but maybe tomorrow morning..." The spiky-haired blond considered the question. "Sure! Meet me south of town and I'll show ya something you'll never forget!" Ranma gave the boy a nod, both smiling at one another for the exact same reason. They were gonna learn a new technique! More than that, both were doing it for the exact same reason...

...To be the best.

* * *

Naruto fought to stand upright, and failed, falling to the ground flat on his butt. He searched somewhere for another ounce of energy, something he could scrape together for one more pass at the secret technique rolled into the scroll strapped to his back. The first rays of dawn crept through the ftree line and Naruto decided a slight break wasn't out of the question. 

A shadow broke the inviting rays of light, and he looked up to find the pigtailed boy stepping out into the clearing. Naruto threw a clenched smile at the boy, who in turn smiled back. Ranma was impressed for his part. The kid was exhausted, reminding him of his style of training... In other words, you don't stop until you got it, passed out or die trying. It also explained why the smile he returned wasn't just one of pleasantries... It was one of mutual admiration, and he found himself barely containing the need to find out just what the kid had stayed up all night learning.

"Was hopin' you'd be late..." Naruto huffed, pulling himself up. "Only managed to get one of em..." Ranma nodded, silently taking in the boy in front of him. He was beat up, which meant that he was either incredibly dense at learning the stuff or that was one bitch of a technique. Something was telling him that it was the latter, given the boy's exhaustion.

_New technique! New technique!_ Ranma's brain raced. He formed his smile into a mock frown. "You'd better not fall asleep before you show me." The frown didn't last very long and broke almost as soon as it came into existence. The two grinned wildly at one another with that of a shared passion.

"I've found you!" Iruka burst out of the tree line, showing signs of his own exertion. He promptly did a double-take, noticing the boy with Naruto. "And you!" Naruto jumped with shock. Ranma didn't, having sensed the incoming presence several minutes before it manifested itself.

"Heheheh..." Naruto turned away from Ranma as he recovered, his grin turning to a mischievous smile. The night's exertion was all but forgotten now. "You've found me... and I've only learned one skill."

"But you're all beat up..." Iruka studied Naruto, who looked as if he'd eaten his share of dirt in whatever happened. He looked over the blond's shoulder at the the dark haired boy, who simply shrugged with indifference. Whoever he was, there was something familiar about him. "You two didn't get into a fight did you?"

"Never mind that!" Naruto's enthusiasm began to pick up exponentially. "I'm going to try an incredible skill!"

The teacher's eyes widened with sudden realization... The trouble maker,_ his student, _had been practicing hard enough to hurt himself pretty badly and he was still practically jumping out of his skin to show him the mysterious new technique he had learned. Iruka studied the boy further and his mind began to make an unpleasant series of connections. Naruto had something to show him. He also had the forbidden scroll on his back; the very scroll that had prompted his search by half the village ninja population. And it all led to the question...

"Naruto, where did you get that scroll on your back?"

"Mizuki-sensei told me about it..." Those words sent Ranma to high alert. Unlike the others, he had sensed the _other_ presence covertly hidden in the tree line, but assumed that it was one of the kid's instructors waiting to see what Naruto would do with the new technique. Now the other instructor was here and didn't know what the first was doing? If there was one thing Ranma Saotome had grown wary of in his life, it was coincidence. Coincidence _never_ treated the pigtailed martial artist kindly, and he knew better than to not connect the dots.

Those same words turned Iruka's gut to ice. The scroll was a guarded secret. Sure, all the instructors knew about it, but you did not go introducing students to techniques that would get them killed. By the looks of Naruto, those techniques had done their best to do just that. But he had endured, and even _he_ was wondering just what his student had learned. But why would Mizuki tell Naruto--? A wave of power washed across him, causing both teacher and student to spin around on Naruto's pigtailed friend. Iruka's eyes widened. _No thirteen year old had any right to be in possession of that kind of power!_

"What the...!" Were his only words as he tried to comprehend the determined mask on the boys face, and even that was preempted as a new warning screamed through his brain. _They were under attack!_ The shiruken blurred in at high speed from another angle, and there was only one thing on Iruka's mind-- Remove his student from the threat. He gave Naruto a hard shove even though he knew the inevitable outcome. He'd take the full assault, but at least Naruto would be... The pigtailed boy blurred in front of him at impossible speeds and dropped into a defensive stance. He was going to take the attack himself! _The kid would be killed outright!_ No armor, no-- The boy's hands burst into distorted after images as the shiruken sought there targets, only to have their vectors abruptly altered by his impenetrable defense. Nine of the knives were now embedded everywhere but their targets, with one held lightly between the smiling boy's fingers.

It wasn't a pleasant smile.

"Ya dropped these." Ranma absently flipped the blade in his fingers from point to handle, playing with it as if were a toy. The man- presumably Mizuki-_sensei_ -stared with incredulity from his tree branch position. Two ninjas and one student were now wondering just who the hell this kid was.

The tree borne blue haired ninja's eyes flicked from Iruka and the lightning quick boy to Naruto and the scroll. The plan had just turned to solid shit. It had started simple enough, he thought as he picked over his next course of action-- Dupe vulnerable class clown into stealing the scroll and take possession of the scroll. If he could turn the kid, bonus. If not, lights out. Then his friend showed up. He didn't think the little fool had any friends, but that in itself wasn't a huge departure from the plan. Kill em both, take the scroll. Spilled milk and all that. Then damn Iruka found them! Okay, three to one, he had surprise on his side and two were just kids. No problem.

Except that wasn't the case.

Naruto's friend had just intercepted his opening salvo, and the element of surprise was lost. He now had the task of retrieving the scroll, fighting off Iruka and dealing with the boy, who was an unknown quantity at this point. But maybe it wasn't so bad. Maybe he could cajole the little fool into cooperating._  
_

_"Naruto! Give me the scroll!"_

The blond head whipped around from the Iruka and his weird friend to Mizuki. _What the hell! _"Hey! HEY! What's going on here!"

"NARUTO! Don't give him the scroll, even if you _die!_" Ranma's attention narrowed sharply at the order, and he focused on the scroll strapped to his unlikely friend's back. That was one tall order for a teacher to be making of his student, but obviously the other guy was willing to kill for it. "It's a dangerous scroll that has forbidden Ninjitsu sealed within it! Mizuki used you in order to get his hands on it!"

The word 'forbidden' captured Ranma's thought process in its entirety. The martial artist had dealt with more than his share of forbidden techniques, and they weren't labeled such for nothing. Whatever was on Naruto's back now had not only torn him up in its learning, but was now worth his life. A gurgling cough fought its way up Ranma's throat, but he suppressed it in favor of the arrogant smile he was wearing. It tasted like blood. The deflection technique using his Chestnut Fist had worked as advertised, but the move hadn't been popular with his already injured body, and diverting ki away from healing was probably the fastest way back to the hospital... Or worse. Whatever, he thought, staring a confident hole into the ninja. Never let 'em see you sweat.

Mizuki chuckled, seeming to shrug Iruka off. "There's no point in you having it... I'll tell you the truth, Naruto." Iruka's vehement protests were ignored and the teacher continued. "Twelve years ago. You know about the demon-fox being sealed, right? Since that incident, a new rule was created for this village." Ranma glanced at Iruka and began to get a sinking feeling. There were few reasons for an enemy to engage in seemingly useless prattle, and the fact that it was story time after an attempted murder set him to high alert. "But that rule was never meant to be told to you, Naruto."

The spiky haired blond bit, hook, line and sinker. "Not to me! What is this rule? Why?" Naruto took an involuntary step forward. "What... kind of rule is it?" Ranma's sense of dread grew.

"Hehehehehe..." A cold smile grew across Mizuki's face. "The rule is that nobody is allowed to talk about the fact that you are the fox demon."

Ranma blinked as Naruto hit the earth, the full weight of the teacher's explanations crushing him. Fox demon? What the hell? Ranma took in all three players, noticing the dead seriousness of the atmosphere. Ok, so he wasn't bs'ing about the demon, Ranma decided, digesting this new piece of information. Not exactly a surprise, I guess. Hell, after the lizard men and Phoenix bird, demons are just par for the course, he snorted, wondering how these situations always seemed to seek him out.

"What do you mean!" Naruto burst, barely comprehending what was unfolding before him.

"It means that you...are the Nine Tails Demon that destroyed the village and killed Iruka's parents!" The blue haired Ninja shouted with perverse glee. "You were sealed up by the Hokage you admire and you have been lied to by everybody! Didn't you find it odd how everybody hated you?" One of the giant shirukens came off the rogue teacher's back, twirling in his fingers at high speed. "Iruka is the same! He actually hates you!"

Naruto and Iruka were too emotionally invested to react to the immediate threat coming off Mizuki's hands. Ranma was not. His mind kicked into overdrive and diverted ki from the healing process in preparation to deliver a decisive blow.

"Nobody will ever accept you! That scroll was use to seal you up!" The giant star was freed from the teacher's hand and whistled across the clearing like bladed lightening. A pigtailed blur cut by it, ignoring the weapon completely. Iruka could deal with the shiruken, Ranma decided. His target was something else entirely. The next actions happened nearly simultaneously as Naruto's teacher- off balance -deflected the star with his arm, sending lacerations up its length in a bleeding mist. Ranma Saotome was already inside Mizuki's guard before the wayward ninja could react, his leaping arc taking him behind the ninja where two fingers darted into a point at the base of his skull. The fingers connected and his enemy finally reacted with a skillful roundhouse kick. At optimal health, the heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts could have evaded the attack with ease, considering his mastery of aerial combat. Today wasn't that day and the kick clipped him with enough power to send him hard into the next tree, where he crashed to the ground.

Ranma's eyes remained open just long enough to watch one teacher leap into the other before fading out to black.

* * *

The world blurred back into existence where Ranma Saotome found... ceiling tiles. He slowly propped his head up and quickly identified his surroundings. The damn hospital, he grumbled. He considered hopping out of bed, but instantly thought better of the idea, considering the throbbing pain in his skull. It was an ache that extended throughout his entire body, and for once since his arrival in Konoha, he was more than content to remain in the bed. A nurse that had been studying a clipboard of paperwork noticed his return to consciousness and favored him with a courteous smile, asking him if he needed anything before promptly exiting the room. 

Ranma suspected he was about to get some company.

Ten minutes later, he was right. The door clicked open, and the nurse admitted the old Hokage, one-eyed ninja and Iruka, whose right arm was immobilized with heavy bandages.

"Is he well enough to talk?" The Elder asked the brunette nurse in a hushed tone, who nodded.

"As long as ya don't make my headache any worse." Ranma interjected, rubbing his skull. He eyed Iruka and smiled. "I take it the good guys won?"

Iruka stiffened slightly, but chuckled. "Thanks to you and Naruto."

"Naruto...?" Sudden realization dawned on the pigtailed boy and he sat up quickly. "I missed his special technique, didn't I?" The boy quickly regretted the action, as a dull throb pulsed through his brain. "OOOoooowww..."

"I'll let him tell you all about it." Iruka stated, chuckling at Ranma's state.

"Speaking of special techniques..." Sarutobi broached the topic tentatively. "Iruka says you acquitted yourself quite well yourself."

"Feh." Ranma dismissed the probe at information. "I'm a martial artist, no big deal."

"You deflected every shiruken thrown at you by a Chūnin ranked ninja." Kakashi noted quietly.

"And I'm not sure what you did to him in that mad charge of yours..." Iruka added, "But it took effect just in time for Naruto-kun's new technique. Mizuki couldn't even _move _to evade it. "

Ranma began to snicker. "Hehehe... Would have loved to see the look on his face." The trio stared silently at the amused boy until Ranma took notice. "Amazon Shiatsu pressure point." He supplied easily. "Body armor was blocking most of the instant paralysis points, so I took the higher probabilities in hitting a delayed action one. Figured one of yas would be able to take him out when it took effect." He didn't bother adding the fact that it was about all he _could_ have done in his injured state.

"Just how skilled are you?" The Third Hokage leaned in, scrutinizing the boy. "No simple 'martial artist' would have the skill to pluck shiruken out of the air, let alone incapacitate one of our teachers while being as wounded as you were. _Are._"

"I'm the best." Ranma shrugged with indifference. Kakashi arched a skeptical eyebrow. Ranma sighed. "Fine, have it your way. I'm heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts and hold masteries in over twenty different styles, not to mention being a skilled ki user."

"Twenty?" Iruka Umino mouthed in disbelief.

"Ki?" Kakashi cocked his head at the unfamiliar term.

It was Ranma's turn to arch an eyebrow. "What, you ain't never heard of ki?"

"Is ki similar to chakra?" The robed Hokage asked, earning himself a blank look from the boy.

"Don't know what chakra is." Ranma remarked as he leaned back into the bed's pillow. He might not have like hospitals, but the bed was sure welcome at the moment. "Ki is spirit energy. Ya can use it lots of ways."

"What about the physical side?" Iruka remarked, noting the absence of the key ingredient in any Ninja's abilities.

"Like strength?" Incomprehension was writ large across Ranma's face and it became obvious to the Hokage a disconnect existed in their communication.

"No." Sarutobi corrected the boy in a sagely manner. It would have been so easy to lecture him as if he were a child, but whatever was in front of him was definitely _not_ a child. "Chakra is the combination of spirit energy and physical energy, not strength. The two exist independently of one another and can be 'molded' together to form advanced techniques." The Hokage noted the way the boy stared at him in rapture, and shivered mentally. There was something hard at work inside that boy's head. "Are you sure you've never heard of Chakra?"

"Uh uh." He shook his head. "Show me." It wasn't a request, and given the circumstances, Sarutobi was more than willing to oblige him.

"Iruka, if you please?" The Elder asked over his shoulder, and the teacher stepped up to the bedside next to him. The ninja concentrated, purposely making a big show of the gathering of his energies and combining them into the point of his finger, where a small flame sprouted. The boys eyes widened.

"No shit..." He breathed as he watched Iruka repeat the process. The boy was staring at his chest, but was also obviously seeing much more. Ranma saw the swirl of ki first. It was the easiest component of the reaction to pick out. But there was a subtle energy flowing in with it. The physical energy? Ranma watched the reaction cumulate at his finger tip and the flame sprout once more. He still wasn't sure of the exact mechanics behind the physical side of the energy, but Ranma had _seen_ it, and if there was one thing he knew for certain, it was that anything he could see, he could duplicate. Even as he studied it, another part of his brain was hard at work with the implications concerning his new found knowledge. Breaking Point suddenly became a whole new ball game as Ranma calculated what would happen if physical energy could be infused into the technique... The move only useful against inanimate objects suddenly took on a terrifyingly lethal twist, and he filed the fact away for future scrutiny. Ranma and the word 'lethal' generally didn't sit in easy company, but after a Phoenix god and a couple of demons, he wasn't prepared to dismiss the potential outright either. Thankfully, there were a number of less than lethal applications that occurred to Ranma as well, and a smile spread slowly across his face.

"I see you understand."

Ranma nodded. "Think you can teach me how to use the physical side?"

Sarutobi considered the request for a moment. There was no doubt as to the reasoning behind his question. In fact, the reason as to the one dimensional nature of his chakra was now perfectly clear... It was all spirit energy the boy was using. Every special technique in this Ranma's arsenal was probably fueled by it alone. Whatever training the boy had undergone, it had developed his ki to the point were it all but compensated for the missing physical component. Oh, sure, there were probably still things he couldn't do without Chakra, but he had obviously learned how to work around that particular handicap, and like any disability, his spiritual energy was enormous given how much he worked with it. Teaching him how to handle the physical side as well... Sarutobi shivered mentally once more. They'd have to be absolutely certain about who they were unleashing upon the village...

_And what._

"I think we can come to some sort of an arrangement." The Hokage replied amieably, but his tone grew serious. "However, there is something that I need to confirm. Something I sensed in your first visit."

"Sure, whatcha need?" Ranma replied with ease. Anything that would help him put his newly discovered knowledge into practice.

"I need to find out what is inside of you."

Ranma blinked. "Uhh, inside of me?"

The Elder nodded. "There is a restlessness inside of you and I must determine what it is before we continue."

Ranma cocked his head curiously. "Ain't got nothin' inside of me except guts, a couple of curses and my other body."

Sarutobi smiled gently, moving his hand over Ranma. "If I may?"

Ranma shrugged indifferently. "Sure. Why not."

The Hokage place his hand lightly on Ranma's stomach and began his mental probe, first tracing along his nearly nonexistent chakra lines. That was an oddity in itself, he thought as he continued the examination. Where does a person come from where they have absolutely no knowledge of chakra? Sarutobi dismissed the quandary for later discussion and focused deeper. Ah, there it is, he thought as his probe encountered the dark, restless mass within the boy. It was insubstantial, having no real physical form, but it was there, stirring within the boy on an astral plane. The Hokage paused for a moment, considering the implications. He had to be absolutely sure, and pressed the probe deeper.

Ranma felt cold, as if a breeze of cool air was blowing across his body. Not just his body, however. _His spirit._ A familiar feeling began to grow within him, and it started to worry the martial artist. "Hey, ah... I think you might wanna stop that..."

The Hokage didn't hear the advisement, and pushed the psychic probe deeper into the darknesses. It was a familiar darkness to him as well, but not as hostile as the last one he encountered. Still, it was reactionary. Violent. Unpredictable.

The feeling of unease grew within Ranma and the first wellsprings of panic began to pool in his stomach. _It _was getting antsy. _It_ wasn't supposed to get antsy now, though, he thought fursiously and fought to stay collected. None of _them_ were around. No reason to panic. But whatever the old man was doing, it was stirring up trouble.

"Ya _really_ need to stop that..."

Sarutobi was too deep and too close to his goal to even notice. He plucked at one layer of blackness, then another and found himself staring at eyes. They blinked as if surprised by his manifest presence on the astral plane. The Elder stared in shock. That was...

Kakashi's eye widened as the boy's eyes popped open. Ranma jerked up-right and the eyes glittered with inhuman energy. The Hokage came out of his trance as well, but was still too lethargic to note the world around him. Iruka took an arm and pulled the Elder back slowly. That was when a sound curled up from the boys throat, freezing everybody in the room...

"_ReeeoooOOOOOOW..."_

_

* * *

_

Neko-Ranma looked around the strange room, his head darting from one angle to the next. Somebody had woken him up _early_, it noted inside the primitive difference engine it called a thought process. There were no other cats around to threaten it, no toys and certainly not a nice, warm, comfortable lap, so what had woken it up? The Cat's scanning halted when it found the wrinkeled face of the Hokage, and leaned forward into it. Now _that _face looked familiar, it decided. He studied the two next to it carefully. They didn't look like they wanted to play. That fact only diminished Neko-Ranma's enthusiasm at being awake outside a life threatening situation only slightly. It was used to making its own fun anyway.

"Ranma, I need to..." The feline noticed the Elder's encroaching hand and shuffled off the bed and away from it.

The hand prompted a threat assessment from Neko-Ranma, and it quickly found the old man to be at the top of that list. Even in top condition, the cat that was Ranma's brain instinctively knew it stood no chance against him and if it came to a fight or flight situation; Neko-Ranma was a goner in both instances. Next on the list was the strange one-eyed ninja. He made the cat feel... Uneasy. In his current condition, he knew there was no way he could take the ninja. At optimal health... He'd be a challenge, maybe more, with this strange body. The injuries and strange body were not lost on Neko-Ranma, and it silently wondered where they had come from. These three? They could be threats, but they weren't attacking... If it came down to a fight, the cat knew it would take the scarred ninja out first and escape in the chaos. He was the lowest power level of the three and well within his ability to deal with, wounded or not.

The hand came closer and while the cat wasn't certain of its intentions, there were too many unknowns in the situation he had awoken in. He was wounded, there were no other cats around and his body was... strange. Add in the fact that these three didn't register as friends, even if they weren't immediately hostile. The difference engine registered these facts and clicked down, deciding on a course of action.

"Sandaime!" Iruka exclaimed and grabbed at the Hokage's hand, yanking it back. Ethreal ki blades flashed into existence along Ranma's knuckles and a look of displeasure crossed his face. The blades came down and sliced the bed clean in half, collapsing it. Even as it fell, Neko-Ranma hopped off it calculating an escape route. The three strangers were blocking his primary exit, and the cat really wasn't looking forward to going through the them, so it turned back to the closed window and slashed out, cutting the window from it's frame and leaping out into the sunny day.

The three stood stunned, starring at the ruined bed and hole carved out of the hospital wall. The Hokage snapped out of the state first, a hard edge flashing through his eyes. "Alert ANBU. Bring Ranma back alive, if possible." Iruka's eye widened and Kakashi simply nodded.

Sarutobi scratched the white hairs on his chin thoughtfully. "We may have a Nekomata or Raiju loose"

* * *

Neko-Ranma leaped from roof-top to roof-top, delighting in the freedom and the beautiful day. Even though it was a wonderful day to play, however, it was still worried. Everything was _wrong_. First, it had no idea where it was. Second, nothing smelled familiar. Third, it couldn't even locate _one_ of its familiar lap-people. Aggravating the entire situation was the facts that it was wounded and its body was _different_. Neko-Ranma's simplistic thought process couldn't grasp the concept that it was now inhabiting a younger body, but it could understand that it _felt_ different. Less powerful ...And if there was one thing the cat didn't like, it was surprises. 

The ambient power levels of its surroundings were also making Neko-Ranma nervous. It may have been a nice day, but the humanoid cat-boy sensed it was on perilous ground. On any other day, it would have been more than happy to play with the individual power spikes pursuing him at a distance, but today it was injured, felt strange and on unfamiliar ground. Playtime was not tops on today's list, and Neko-Ranma was desperate for a familiar place or friendly lap, preferably both. Those laps were its safe harbor and always seemed to protect it from the weird happenings that it couldn't understand. The cat-intellect inside Ranma's head began to search the village for just such a lap, selectively scanning the the village ki for just such a friend.

The not-so-friendly power levels were beginning to creep around Neko-Ranma's flanks, and the cat knew the attempt to surround it instinctively. Sure, they kept out of sight and at distance, but they were there, and like a predator hunting its prey, it knew their intentions were focused on him. Neko-Ranma cut right, leaping lightly from a straw hut and onto the solid tiling of a larger house. It didn't like how its options were rapidly dwindling. If the unknown power levels came any closer, the cat would have no choice but to engage them, even if it would rather run or play. There were too many unknowns today, and the cat's panic level was already red-lined. It couldn't risk allowing one of _them_ into combat range. Even as the cat-intellect began to roll down it's defensive options, the search struck gold, causing Neko-Ranma to shift course abruptly. It knew that the course change would bring it into range versus one of its pursuers, but it couldn't be helped. Action would be kept to a minimum, and evasive only. All that was required was to get passed the adversary, not kill it. Neko-Ranma jumped across another shingled roof-top and sighted the ninja who was conveniently clad in a dark black uniform and cat mask.

Had the blond haired Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai member's eyes been visible, they would have registered surprise as the boy, who couldn't be more than thirteen, suddenly made his concealed position and moved directly for him at high speed. The plan had been to isolate him away from the more populated districts and deal with him there, and the kid seemed happy to be herded in such an obvious matter... Until now. Indecisiveness floated through the Ninja's head a moment too long as he weighed the fact that the boy was wanted alive, the target's reported skill level and his current condition, which seemed wounded and possessed. The straight line approach suddenly turned into an aerial whirlwind, and he braced for the boy's attack only to step into a feint, a tap on his head, and then the rooftop as his face was pushed hard into tar and shingling. The boy bounced off the ANBU's head, using it as a springboard to propel it at higher speeds away from the human net and towards its new goal, the nice, warm glow of ki he had found a short distance ahead.

Warm ki meant nice people. Nice people meant laps. Laps meant safety.

* * *

Most people knew Hinata Hyuga as a nice, dutiful girl. She was shy, but respectful and had, of course, passed her final prepatory exam on the road to becoming a real ninja with flying colors. Not that anything less of her was expected, which is why it would surprise most people to know she was, in fact, a habitual stalker. 

Her target was always the same, the spiky blond troublemaker known as Naruto Uzumaki and today, she was concerned. Her last images of him were those of the devestated boy standing alone and away from the crowd of graduates after creating a less than ideal clone of himself and failing the final exam. Now the rumor mill was churning full force, and she had caught wind that the object of her secret affections had been injured and was currently being treated in the hospital. How? Why? Nobody seemed to have a clue, and there were also strange rumors of a girl- or boy -seen around his person as of late. Hinata bit her lip as she carried a brisk clip down the village streets toward the hospital, silently hoping it wasn't the former. Her concern for her classmate caused a fierce blushing, which also might have been the reason why she missed the spike of power nearing her location at high speeds.

She did, however notice the shadow obscuring the sunlight overhead and retained enough presence of mind to instinctual slide left avoiding being landed on by... A boy? Hinata recovered and backed away. Even the villagers around her looked on curiously as the boy seemed to test the air with his nose, then stare into the solid cobalt filled eyes of the girl he had nearly pounced upon. Hinata's bowl of indigo hair wavered slightly as she took another step back, her already fierce blush gaining more intensity as the boy made direct eye contact with her. Not just a boy, a part of her shy mental process noted in spite of itself...

...A _cute_ boy.

Words tried to make their way past her lips in order to form something that sounded like a polite- _extremely_ polite – greeting, only to come out as small, desperate gasps. The wide-eyed boy had an oblivious smile inhabiting his face, and he seemed to take her attempt at communication as an invitation. He took a step forward, almost on all fours and Hinata took a step back, still weazing with terminal embarrassment at being the focus of a cute boy's affections. Normally only one cute boy affected her so, but this one...

Ranma-neko smiled brightly and decided.

Yes, she'd do _just fine_.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas! Sorry this Christmas present is slightly late, but it was the best I could do given the constraints I'm currently working under. Had the itch to work on this series as opposed to The Best of Times epilogues, so you'll have to forgive me on that. Anyway, I hope ya alls had a merry Christmas and will be having a Happy New Year.

**Chakra vs Ranma; **_I've changed my definition of this slightly since part one, and hopefully the explanation given in this chapter was sufficient toward that end. Here, ki is basically is only one half the ability Narutoverse ninjas rely on. The combined power source of body and spirit energy is called chakra. Ki is the spirit element, while the physical element is, um... Wa? Ok, whatever. You get the idea. It also helps rationalize why Narutoverse characters can learn such powerful and lethal techniques at an early age... They can't _all _be prodigies, after all. Ranma was taught a handicapped method, thus not coming into serious power until a few years later, while Narutoverse kids are learning complete and "healthy" methods that enhance the power-age curve._

_The downside of Ranma's training method was that at the same age he would have been behind his Narutoverse counterparts. The upside is that overcoming this training handicap has produced in him an inhuman ki reservoir that, while unable to quite duplicate chakra techniques, can hold its own against nearly anything that can be thrown at him. As explained earlier, the best example would be a blind man learning to use his hearing to compensate for the weakness, developing almost inhuman/stronger senses as a result._

**Ki & Ranma; **_Ok, lets get this one out of the way right now, considering the number of reviews I've seen debating this topic. Seriously, google the words "ki" and "definition" and nine times out of ten you'll get something like this--_

"The circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional Chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body is believed to be essential for good health."

--_Or if you want a more comprehensive definition:_

"The word **Reiki** is composed of two Japanese words - Rei and Ki. When translating Japanese into English we must keep in mind that an exact translation is difficult. The Japanese language has many levels of meaning. Therefore the context the word is being used in must be kept in mind when attempting to communicate its essence. Because these words are used in a spiritual healing context, a Japanese/English dictionary does not provide the depth of meaning we seek, as its definitions are based on common everyday Japanese. As an example, Rei is often defined as ghost and Ki as vapor and while these words vaguely point in the direction of meaning we seek, they fall far short of the understanding that is needed.

When seeking a definition from a more spiritual context, we find that **Rei **can be defined as the Higher Intelligence that guides the creation and functioning of the universe. Rei is a subtle wisdom that permeates everything, both animate and inanimate. This subtle wisdom guides the evolution of all creation ranging from the unfolding of galaxies to the development of life. On a human level, it is available to help us in times of need and to act as a source of guidance in our lives. Because of its infinite nature, it is all knowing. Rei is also called God and has many other names depending on the culture that has named it.

**Ki **is the non-physical energy that animates all living things. Ki is flowing in everything that is alive including plants, animals and humans. When a person's Ki is high, they will feel strong, confident, and ready to enjoy life and take on it's challenges. When it is low, they will feel weak and are more likely to get sick. We receive Ki from the air we breath, from food, sunshine, and from sleep. It is also possible to increase our Ki by using breathing exercises and meditation. When a person dies, their Ki leaves the physical body. Ki is also the Chi of China, the prana of India, the Ti or Ki of the Hawaiians, and has also been called odic force, orgone, bioplasma and life force." --(www)reiki(org)

_Long story short, this is how the real world defines ki and rei (reiki) and fits well enough into this plot and Ranma's condition for my purposes._

**Ranma vs. Narutoverse; **_Another change I'm making from chapter one is that I'm not watering down Ranma's competence with and versus conventional weapondry. I had originally planned to give narutoverse characters the edge in this to balance out Ranma's substantial abilities against the others, but found an even better, more natural way to do this, which will be outlined in later chapters. As you can see, from the standoff between him and Mizuki, I'm casting Ranma as having no problems with those skills._**  
**

**ANBU;** Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai,_ or loosely translated to_ "Assassination Tactics Special Squad". _When you need it killed, destroy, neutralized or subverted yesterday, this is the unit the Hokage turns to in order to get the job done._

**Nekomata; **_A__ Japanese __mythological creature__, believed to __evolve__ from __domesticated __cats__. It was believed that after a cat reached ten years of age, its tail would slowly split into two tails, and along the way would develop __magic__ powers, primarily those of __necromancy__ and __shamanism__. By gesturing with its tails or with its forepaws (as it walked upright), nekomata were said to animate and control the dead.__ Nekomata in the wild were also said to feed on the corpses as __carrion__, as well. See the wikipedia entry for more details.  
_

**Raiju;**_("thunder animal") is a __demon__ from __Japanese mythology__. Its body is composed of either __lightning__ or __fire__ and may be in the shape of a __cat, __tanuki, __monkey__, or __weasel__. It may also fly about as a ball of lightning or fire (in fact, the demon may be an attempt to explain the phenomenon of __ball lightning__). Its cry sounds like __thunder__. Another of Raiju's peculiar behaviors is sleeping in human __navels__. See the wikipedia entry for more details._

Feel free to visit my ffnet forums at: **(www)fanfiction(****net)/f/891127** --The Nerima Reactor.  
Not sure how much use it'll be, but feel free to hang out and such. Set it up mostly for kicks and giggles.


	3. Chapter 3

**Merry Christmas, All yas!

* * *

****Tales of the FoxCat  
**Chapter Three 

**S**unny days, warm laps.

There was nothing better if you were a cat with a penchants for martial arts. Unfortunately, Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts wasn't, a fact that his brain was just now coming to terms with now that its part time feline occupant had withdrawn, desires sated. With the cat gone, Ranma's conscious slowly floated back from the security of the shadows and up to the forefront, where it was only beginning to realize that something was wrong. It was a familiar something, Ranma realized, a something that had been experienced too many times before to be casually brushed aside as groggy sleepiness.

_Neko-ken crash_, the thought drifted through his brain, and Ranma dreaded exactly what he'd awake to. The martial arts heir cracked open an eye to find… blades. Blades of every shape and size, glinting in the sunlight and pointing at his person. A quick glance at the wielders indicated they undoubtedly were proficient in there use. The second thing to come to his attention was his perspective. It was low and close to the ground. In fact, the pigtailed boy realized he was looking _up_ at the ring of blades. He twisted his head around and immediately found himself face to face with a young girl with solid cobalt wide eyes and a similarly colored short crop of hair. Had he been of a greater presence of mind, he would have noted it complimented face nicely, if not for the deep blush and nervous quiver of her lip. The fact that she had a somewhat of a shell-shocked expression across her face clued Ranma into one crucial fact…

…He was sitting on her lap.

"Ack!" Ranma was four feet into the air on reflex alone and hit the earth and hit the Earth apologizing. "Aw, crap! I'm sosososo sorr—!" His groveling to the comatose girl was cut short as the blades shifted back on him and the circle closed. "Ehhh…"

"Ranma!" The martial artist's head swiveled as the wall of ninja and weaponry parted for the red and white robed Hokage stepping into the circle, studying the pigtailed boy. "You are… you?"

Ranma seemed to deflate with the question, looking from the village elder, to the hapless girl and back. Fatigue and pain began to set in once again. "Uh, yeah. It's me. Sorry 'bout this."

Sarutobi nodded to the ANBU to either side and they relaxed their stances… slightly, withdrawing just enough to admit him and Kakashi. The one-eyed ninja stepped past Ranma and over to the dazed girl, coaxing her up and leading her out of the circle. The Elder took a puff of his pipe, studying the youth in front of him carefully. "Gender curse, spirit possession, are at least a seventeen year old in a thirteen year old body, a Chūnin rank martial artist…" _At least_, he added mentally. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?"

"Uh…" Ranma's face took on a sheepish look. "No, think that's about all of it."

The Third Hokage eyed the boy skeptically and shrugged. "Then we'll discuss this latest development back at the hospital… Where we'd prefer you actually stayed this time."

Surrounded by ninjas, swords and still on the mend from his last confrontation with the Lost Boy, Ranma had no objections.

* * *

"Neko-ken." Ranma supplied from his bed, causing his audience to stare incomprehensively. "Supposed to be an ultimate martial arts style." 

"I hear a 'but' coming." Iruka leaned forward. He knew just as well as anybody else – especially as a teacher – that anything 'ultimate' came with a heavy price tag. The grave look in the Hokage's eyes told him the exact same thought was playing through his head as well. Kakashi merely stood impassively at the bed's edge, awaiting the inevitable explanation.

"Right." Ranma frowned. "Too bad it involves wrappin' the student in fish sausage and tossing 'em into a pit of starving cats."

Sarutobi's pipe nearly fell out of his hand and Iruka let a silent gasp loose. Even Kakashi's impassive face slipped, his one eye widening with the reply. The Hokage regained a firmer grip on his pipe. "And who… subjected you to this…?"

"Aw, my old man." The pigtailed boy replied nonchalantly. "He was always thinkin' up half baked stuff back then." His face took on a stormy countenance as he continued. "Was about five. Can't count how many times he threw me into that damn pit."

"I see." The Hokage nodded. Only his years of experience helped him keep an even face. "Was there… sacrifice involved?"

Ranma blinked at the turn in conversation. "Sacrifice?"

"Blood sacrifice." He clarified. "There is more to this Neko-ken than a simple martial arts style."

Ranma stared at the elder as the flashes of suppressed memories broke through in incoherent bits. It came to him as red splashes and dying cats, causing him to shudder. "Yeah. There was blood. Lots of it."

The Elder nodded once more, as if the boy's words had confirmed his own thoughts. "Whatever it was thought to be, your Neko-ken was more than likely some form of possession ritual. Even now I can feel a restless spirit within you."

"The fact that he hasn't gone insane…" Kakashi began, only to have Ranma interrupt him.

"…Is incredible. Yeah, yeah. Heard that one too many times to count." The martial artist simply rolled his eyes. "So you're sayin' that I got somethin' inside me?"

"A Nekomata or Raiju, I suspect." The Hokage confirmed. "Though given the non-hostile nature of the spirit, a Raiju more than likely."

"You gotta be kiddin' me." Ranma stated flatly. "Not that I don't believe ya. The fat ol' panda's done more stupidity than most people manage in five lifetimes."

"Panda?" Iruka queried, only to have Ranma wave him off.

"Don't ask." He turned back to the graying old man. "So yer sayin' that instead of an unbeatable martial arts technique, I got a demon-spirit-thingy livin' inside me?"

"That's what my initial probe indicates." Sarutobi replied. "Was this loss of control an isolated incident?"

"I wish." The thirteen year old martial artist snorted while propping himself up against a couple of pillows. "I got a good handle on it, but as good as I am, I got limits."

"And those are? The one eyed Ninja asked with interest.

Ranma shivered. "Cats. Lots of cats. I _hate _cats."

The Hokage puffed on his pipe in contemplation before responding. "As I stated earlier, the safety of this village is my primary concern. What resides in you is not only powerful, but unpredictable and we can ill afford for such a creature to run unchecked."

"Damn, it's always somethin'" Ranma groused, then leaned back into the hospital bed. "I understand. Look, just let me recover and I'll be outta your hair."

The Elder cocked his head and considered the boy laid up before him. He was ready to pick up and move on just like that? A hard life, that much was obvious. And that confidence was more than likely a defense mechanism to cope with all the pain. By all accounts, he was good enough to warrant that confidence, but that was not the reason he wore it like a cloak. Such talent, yet scarred, and he couldn't help but to wonder if the boy would endure the pressure, break or succumb to the demon within. It was a tossup, and in that moment, the leader of Konoha made his decision. "What if we could offer up an alternative?"

"Alternative?"

"Indeed." Sarutobi returned. "We cannot allow your possession to run unchecked. It appears fairly benign, but we simply cannot take chances with such power." Ranma nodded with understanding and he continued. "Therefore I have a proposition. Would you be willing to give up your ultimate fighting style to be rid of the spirit? Or at very least, suppress it?" The pig tailed boy's eyes widened. "This would be an acceptable condition with which I could allow you to remain—"

"YES!"

The Hokage blinked at the forcefulness of the reply. Even Kakashi couldn't help but to be taken back. "Just like that?"

"Just like that, nothing." Ranma shook his head emphatically. "Sure it's saved my butt a few times, but what good is a martial arts technique if you can't control it? And God only knows the number of embarrassing situations it's gotten me into. Like, um… Whatshername…"

"Hinata."

"Yeah, her." Ranma continued agreeably. "Hell, I can't even remember what it's like and I have to be scared shitless by cats to even trigger it. So what's it gonna take?"

Sarutobi considered the boy carefully. "We cannot allow the demon spirit to roam free and it is doubtful we could coax it back to its own plane willingly. The only recourse would be to seal it within you."

"Um, ain't it already sealed in me?"

"From your description of events, just barely." The Hokage explained. "It would seem that it is able to gain free reign if the event is traumatic enough, suppressing your conscious until its desires have been satisfied. In essence, we would be reinforcing its prison."

"Don't sound like a bad thing." The boy quipped with a shrug, then a slightly more concerned expression overcame him. "This thing anything like what 'Ruto's got?"

The elder stilled and his two subordinates looked from the boy to him and back and Ranma could tell the nature of their conversation had just taken a more serious turn. "That was not to be public knowledge, but no. What Uzumaki harbors within him is far more destructive and malicious in nature. The Raiju within _you_ seems content to merely cause mischief from time to time."

Ranma took the information and settled into a stony expression. "You people aren't in the habit of sealin' demons in ta little kids, are ya? Sounds like you got a little too much experience in that department."

"Now look here--!"

The Hokage raised a gentle hand, stopping Iruka's objection with a slightly pained look. "Only out of necessity and survival. Young Naruto was chosen because of his… unique qualities. Nobody else was suitable for the task, else I would have taken on the burden myself."

Sarutobi watched the blue eyed boy stare into him, judging him with a weight no ordinary boy would possess. After a minute, the stony expression flowed away easily, replaced by something more easy going.

"Cuz I'd hate to find out you're worse than my old man." Ranma stated in such an offhand manner that the Hokage almost missed the veiled threat just handed out by a thirteen year old boy. "But you don't seem like the type, so we'll pass on that for now."

Kakashi merely raised an eyebrow- the only one visible –but let the threat pass. After all, there was only so much the kid could do as wounded as he was. That thought was instantly connected with the fact that this same wounded boy had circumvented an ANBU hunting party, and he silently resolved to double his guard around the child. Likewise, the Hokage himself seem relatively unperturbed, but silently knew the boy was serious about making good on the threat if his integrity were found lacking.

_What life experience has conspired to hone his personal honor to such a knife edge?_ The elder wondered as he looked on, watching the boy flex a bandaged arm. It was yet another clue that this Ranma had endured a life of suffering beyond an annoying water based curse, abusive father and the assassination attempt that brought him here. His skill level was at least that of Chūnin rank and _that_ was while _wounded_. God only knew how good the boy actually was.

"Say, where's blondie, anyway?"

The question pulled all three men out of their respective thoughts, causing Iruka and Kakashi to look to the Elder to see if the question was even to be answered. "Room 208." Sarutobi replied with a smile. Despite his baggage, the boy cared, which went a long way in his book. That, and Naruto was at a severe deficit of friends. Becoming a ninja of Konoha would have corrected that by its very nature as he was integrated into a close knit unit, but one thing was made painfully obvious by yesterday's debacle… He needed a friend _now_. "Just try to refrain from adventuring until you're reasonably healed. Once that is accomplished, you should have the stamina necessary to undergo the sealing ritual."

Ranma wasn't too thrilled about remaining in the hospital, but it probably was for the best. He'd heal up, pump Naruto for information on his new technique and get that bothersome little Raiju sealed up. Sure, he'd be bored as hell in the mean time, but there was a rather substantial light at the end of the tunnel.

"Sure, why not," The Saotome smiled agreeably, then turned on the one eyed Ninja. "Just have your goons keep their distance. Don't need no trigger happy ninjas chasin' me around just 'cuz I get splashed with cold water and think I'm a demon or something." Kakashi's single eye widened. "What? Don't look at me like that. Wouldn't be the first time."

Kakashi left Ranma's room in a slight state of shock over the fact that his covert guard had been noticed. It was therefore forgivable that he missed the comment concerning something about "Goddamn magical girls".

* * *

Ranma Saotome stared. 

It wasn't often that that the martial artist diagnosed with chronic foot-in-mouth disease was rendered absolutely speechless, but he was finding now was one of those times. Spiky blond hair? Check. Forehead Goggles? Check. Elaborate makeup and orange jacket? Eh, check.

"So what do ya think!?"

The black haired boy shook himself out of his momentary stupor. Less than a day after being released from the hospital, Naruto Uzumaki was already set to make waves. Not that he himself was opposed to making waves, Ranma amended silently. Just his waves seemed entirely chaotic in nature. It wasn't as if he went out of his way to make them. Trouble just sought him out. Naruto on the other hand seemed to be a damn typhoon, purposely making waves of his own accord. Had the pigtailed martial artist thought on the matter further, he might have shivered at what two such forces in close interaction might instigate. As such, he didn't and simply stared at the boy.

"Yer going to graduate in that?"

"Yeah!" The blond beamed enthusiastically. "I'm going to be the coolest one there!"

Ranma sighed internally, but then, it was hard to begrudge him the fact. Naruto had only been talking about this event from his hospital bed for the last week now. That, and he had to respect the kid in a way. From the description of the battle he had missed- read kicked into unconsciousness –the boy had more than earned the right to play kabuki. From what he was able to gather in Naruto's explanation, the Kage Bunshin No Jitsu was an order higher than the splitting cat hairs technique he knew. Instead of multiple illusions, Naruto had created honest to God clones of himself, each indistinguishable from their master, but imbued with only one hitpoint. Ki was great for illusions, but to have a real body distraction technique? The thought caused Ranma Saotome to practically salivate.

He considered the chipper boy before him once more. "Wouldn't wear that to the graduation if I were you. They tend to get all bent out of shape over that sort of stuff."

"Just for the photos!" Naruto nodded with a grin. "Hey, you gonna come? Watching the Konoha's greatest ninja graduate is a once in a lifetime event!"

Ranma snorted. There was just no stopping this kid. "Sure, why not. But the world's greatest martial artist has gotta meet up with ol' Cyclops first, though."

"One eye?" Naruto's expression turned curious. "He's one of the instructors, I think."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, wants to evaluate my abilities or somethin' now that I've recovered."

"Well kick his ass for me then!" Naruto smiled brightly and Ranma couldn't help but to return it. His mouth opened to continue, but was preempted by the distant chime of a clock bell echoing through the multi leveled streets. "Crap! Gotta go! See you later, Ranma!"

Ranma arched an eyebrow as the Kabuki warrior blurred back down the street and around the corner, leaving a couple of gawking bystanders in his wake. He chuckled himself and turned south, following the street left then straight until he came to a park on the southern edge of town. In the middle of the clearing stood Kakashi reading a book and Ranma wondered if the guy ever changed out of that dull brown body armor he seemed to wear continuously. The pigtailed boy strolled within ten feet and the one-eyed Ninja looked up, studying him. Ranma simply opted to grin.

"So what's up?"

Kakashi's lazy eye regarded him, and he brushed his white mane back with a free hand. "The Hokage would like a baseline of your abilities before we proceed further with either training or the sealing. The first, to know just what we have to work with while the latter to determine your overall health."

"Sounds reasonable." Ranma replied amiably. He was used to his abilities being tested and he could already tell this one was underestimating him. Badly. "What do I have ta do?"

"Simple." The one-eyed ninja replied. If Ranma didn't know any better, there was a slight edge of humor in his voice. "See these little bells on my belt?" His finger tickled one producing a light 'ting' for affect. "You have fifteen minutes to obtain one by any means necessary. Stealth. Weapons. Whatever."

"Anything goes then?"

Kakashi found himself looking at the boys crooked grin and silently began to wonder just what he had gotten himself into. Regardless, the results would undoubtedly be enlightening. "Essentially, yes."

Ranma looked the man over with an experienced eye. On the surface, his stance screamed total unpreparedness, but that only caused his anticipation to grow exponentially. With explanations dispensed with, Cyclopes had gone back to reading his book, but Ranma wasn't fooled for a moment as his own school was rooted in similarly relaxed forms.

"Fifteen minutes?" Ranma confirmed, and the ninja shook his head absently without ever taking his eye off the book. "Feh. Let's just get this over with."

That was Kakashi's last warning as the thirteen year old boy blurred into him. Threat screamed through his brain and the book was put away as he erected a hasty guard in order to intercept the flurry of high speed fist raining down on him. Even as he fought to keep up with the numerous impacts, the ninja's mind floated in a state of shock. _The boy was inhumanly fast!_ Another volley of high speed punches streaked in before the thirteen year old switched stances, unleashed an aerial combination of kicks into his guard, then jumped out of hand to hand range behind him, panting. The instructor was simply awed. The entire engagement had lasted less than five seconds. Ten at most, and he could feel the strikes that had bypassed his guard even through the armor. Hell, he had been caught so off balance that he hadn't even thought to take the offensive against him.

_Ting!_

Kakashi smiled from beneath his ever present mask. It didn't matter. The prize still hung from his belt and by the sound of it, that burst had worn the boy down. Not only would his next attempt be slower, but he would be prepared. Of course, he thought he had been prepared before as well. It was almost disappointing in a way. The trial was over before—

"Whoa, this is some pretty eechi stuff, Sensei." The ninja's single eye widened and he spun around to find the winded boy flipping through a pink book labeled 'Come-Come Paradise'. Kakashi nearly choked as the pig tailed boy continued his review. "I mean, is it just me or are half the martial arts instructors I stumble across perverts?"

Kakashi's state of shock lasted for another few moments before he gathered enough composure to walk calmly over to the martial artist and take the book from his hands. He silently noted the bookmark was still in place and tucked the offending material back into the pouch on his hip. "You're… skilled."

The manner in which he said it indicated that the instructor didn't quite believe it himself, causing Ranma to smile. "Think I already told ya, but damn, that took it outta me."

"I doubt you'd be able to repeat such a performance, or at least not at the same intensity." The one eyed Ninja observed, causing Ranma to nod in agreement.

"Yeah, looks like a flat out amigurikan is too much for this body for any length a time." The martial artist frowned, flexing a sore arm. "Probably the same for some of my other techniques too."

Kakashi cocked his head. "And what other techniques are those?"

"Can do lots of things with hot and cold ki." Ranma stated. "Something similar to your cloning techniques. A couple of variations on a ranged ki attack and you already saw the Chestnut fist… And a few other things."

The hesitation with which the boy stated the few other things piques the one-eyed Ninja's curiosity. "And what other things are those?"

Ranma's face closed up, turning guarded suddenly. "Sealed techniques. Don't bother askin' cuz they probably belong on that scroll 'Ruto found."

"I see." The Ninja concluded thoughtfully and decided against pressing the matter further. After that performance, he was inclined to believe anything the boy said at this point. "Then let's continue with something more basic." He then proceeded to walk over to a stump with nearly twenty shuriken imbedded edge first into it. "See the targets down range?" The boy nodded, following his gesture to a group of logs fifty feet away whose features were arranged in a vaguely human fashion. "Hit as many as you can in the least amount of time. Whenever you're ready."

Ranma nodded and Kakashi pulled out a stop watch. The boy plunged an arm into the stump and the Ninja hit the timer. Five seconds later a stoccado of thuds echoed back to them and Ranma's blurring appendage returned to his side.

"Dammit."

Kakashi began an easy walk toward the targets, trying to find what had prompted the boy's irritation. As he closed, he found the majority of the shuriken s on target, though none of the strikes were killing blows, while an even smaller number- five –had missed entirely. Kakashi blinked, as something about their placement clicked. "You incapacitated them?"

"Sure." The Saotome returned as he rubbed his arm from the strain. "Harder shots, but no reason to kill 'em if I don't have ta… People, I mean, not the logs."

"And the misses?"

"Hate to keep blamin' everything on this body, but it's really screwing with everything." Ranma grumbled. "Balance, reach, stamina… everything is off and I haven't had time to adjust."

"So under normal circumstance you could have made those shots? 100 percent?" He pressed and Ranma nodded.

"Any faster and I woulda started to miss, but yeah, don't miss often at that speed." The boy replied and Kakashi found himself staring at the boy further.

He was an enigma to be sure, and Kakashi was truly beginning to believe there was seventeen years of experience wrapped up inside a thirteen year old body. As it was, the boy could easily pass himself off as a genius. Probably was anyway before being de-aged, if his current level of ability were any indication. Even an seventeen year old would be hard pressed to take the bells off his belt, let alone the book. Sure, he had underestimated this Ranma badly, but the skill was there, shining like a beacon. And then there were the logs. Something about their targeting disturbed him. The higher percentages were in lethal attacks, but the boy had gone out of his way not to 'kill' the logs. _Like Mizuki_, he realized with a mental frown. Taken together, both events pointed to a disturbing trend that would endanger the young boy's life or those around him if not corrected.

"Alright." He dismissed the concern for now. He'd bring it to the Hokage's attention later. "Let's talk strength and stamina then."

Ranma smiled. "Lets."

* * *

"Okay! The basics are 'Bon Kyuu Bon'! Now do it!" 

The helmeted little boy before Naruto Uzumaki took a stance and began to channel power furiously, causing aura and wind to snap around him suddenly, cumulating in a flash of light and smoke. When both dissipated, what remained wasn't quite human. The blond winced. The result of Konohamaru stood before him in the form of an obese, vaguely female blob. _That_ wouldn't do at all. Sexy no Jitsu was a high level technique capable of unleashing massive amounts of bloodletting (2d6 over 6 seconds) on an unsuspecting victim. This wasn't even close to being super high-class and thus the would-be instructor shook his head emphaitically.

"NO!"

"Uhg, what are you trying to teach the kid, 'Ruto?" The transformation broke, once more revealing the small boy at its center, both turned to find a dark haired thirteen year old stepping out of the foliage.

"Who's that, Boss?"

Naruto glanced at the curious Konohamaru with a smile. "That's my friend Ranma Saotome, the best martial artist in Konoha!"

The greeting stopped Ranma's through process short as he joined the pair. The grandiose title he wasn't prepared for, but could handle, especially given the fact that it was true. The ready acknowledgement of friendship, however, came entirely out of left field and bypassed any witty reply his brain would have normally generated in just such a case. How many people had outright called him a friend in the last three years, whether their ages were thirteen or eighteen? Akane had, but that was conditional, at best. Ucc-chan had as well, but that person didn't exist anymore. Everybody else failed the litmus test by _miles_. In the end, all he had were fiancées and rivals. Even his so called 'friends' at school were more likely to douse him with water for a cheap thrill then not, narrowing the list further. Given what he knew about Naruto, it was sad irony that both of their lives, while from totally separate worlds, were on the same, bleak track.

Even as his mind snapped greedily at the concept, another part approached it warily. Akane had said they were friends too and see how long that lasted? Granted the pressures of a forced marriage didn't help, but… In that frozen moment, both sides chewed on the idea of friendship until Ranma's more optimistic nature won out. Barely. The kid may have been thirteen, but so was he at the moment, and a friend was a friend. His pessimistic aspect born of too many betrayals lurked in the background, however, wondering just how long it would last and how many pieces there'd be to pick up once the kid found out about the curse.

The moment passed, as did the mental quandary and Ranma smiled back, returning Naruto's compliment in full. "How's the best ninja in Konoha, anyway?"

The sprout haired boy boggled. He was not only in the presence of the best Ninja of Konoha, but the best martial artist as well!? Just how far down the ladder was he!?

"Great! Just showing Konohamaru a super-advanced ninja technique!"

Ranma was just about to ask what that technique was when the boy blurted, "What makes him the best martial artist in Konoha?!"

Naruto's smile turn very feral in nature. "He helped me kick a Chunnin rank ninja's ass."

Konohamaru's jaw dropped. "You beat up a Chunnin?!"

"An _instructor _Chunnin." Naruto add for emphasis, causing the helmeted boy to gape further. If these two could beat up a Chunnin instructor, then there was definitely a chance they could teach him to beat that damn tutor of his!

Konohamaru snapped to attention. "I'll do anything you ask, boss! Bosses!"

Ranma simply blinked while Naruto smiled, nudging his friend. "Okay! Last time was wrong! More slender! More beautiful!"

Ranma Saotome winced as the boy powered up again and popped, revealing another hideously malformed female. He looked over to his new friend, who had a perturbed expression on his face now. "What was it you were trying to teach him again?"

Naruto considered Ranma with an apologetic look, then snapped back to the boy. "Wrong! Again!" the blond stepped forward and adopted his own stance. "Like this!"

Ranma smiled as Naruto powered up. If the other kid's transformation was any indication, this was going to be amus—

"TRANSFORM!"

The smoke cleared and Ranma's eyes widened in horror. "ACK! Stay back Minako! BACK!"

Naruto watched as Ranma fell on his butt and shuffled back to the nearest tree in terror before letting the transformation collapse. Ranma blinked as rational thought flowed back into his brain while his partner smiled at Konohamaru. "See? Works every time!" He turned back to the pigtailed boy, who was now glaring fiercely at him. "Though it normally only works on adults."

"I hate you." Ranma grumbled, then smiled. "Do that again. I wanna see how that works too."

* * *

"So he's everything he says he is?" Kakashi nodded to the elder before him, who had turned his attention from the crystal ball on his table to the one-eyed ninjas report, flipping through pages of notes. "A chounin, then?" 

"At least." The Kakshi confirmed softly, his one eye taking a moment to tour the small room he and the 3rd Hokage now inhabited. It was chalk full of hanging scolls, maps and other oracles that defied explanation. There was always something new each time he visited, be is a simply plum of feathers dangling from the ceiling to a new crystal mounted on the desk across the room. Iruka elaborated from beside the ninja.

"He may be cocky, but he can back nearly every boast he makes. At the moment, I'd rank him as advanced chonin, limited only by how much trouble being displaced from his normal body has caused. That, and he has little concept of what Chakra actually is."

"Once he does, however…" Sarutobi trailed off, leaving the conclusion unspoken.

"Once he does, however, I have little doubt he'll push Jounin rank." Kakashi confirmed. "Regardless of his… or _her_ current state, Ranma is a genius in every sense of the term."

The Hokage took a puff from his long stemmed pipe and turned back to studying the notes on Ranma, then looks squarely at Iruka. "Your suggestions on his training, then?"

"Sticking him in the new classes won't do." The teacher replied. "He may be missing out on the basics, but he's no amateur either."

"And while attaching him to the veteran teams to gain the full benefit of their experience, his age and relatively new status within the village would be problamatic."

"My exact thoughts." Iruka agreed, scratching his head absently. "I was thinking to rotate him through instructors instead of assigning him to a specific team. All of us are used to green students and the boy will benefit from the diverse experience. I also hope to avoid alienating the students in the process. He's simply too good to be part of any one team without outshining the rest."

"And since he's not part of any one team, he won't necessarily fall into any pecking order that develops around them." The elder followed, and the scarred ninja nodded.

"Indeed." He elaborated. "He gains the diverse experience he needs and makes the acquaintance of the students in his age bracket while not technically falling into the same command structure."

"Assuming we can do something about his demon possession."

"Correct." Kakashi answered from beside his counterpart. The Hokage was _absolutely _correct on that score. Having a half-sane, neko-possessed ninja on any team was a wipe waiting to happen. All one had to do was spy a house cat at the wrong moment and it was all over, regardless of how high level the actual combatant was… or became, for that matter.

"On that note, a concern." The Hokage looked up from Kakashi's notebook with an arched eyebrow. Smoke drifted from his mouth in a lazy cloud and he motioned for the ninja to continue. "Ranma seems to go out of his way to make his attacks as non lethal as possible. I didn't realize the significance of this until Iruka and I started to compare notes. While we can only speculate as to where he's from, I can only assume the environment is of, shall we say, a lower threat level on average."

"One where he can afford to consider non-lethal options." It was less a question than a statement, and Kakashi confirmed the elder's supposition. Sarutobi clicked the pipe against a small dish, deposition excess ash there in. "Unfortunately, he doesn't have such a luxury and I can only assume that he hasn't been here long enough to realize the fact. Ensure he is aware of this blind spot during his training."

"Of course." Iruka agreed. "I'll draw up a schedule once the other teams have been assembled."

* * *

"When everyone sees me or calls me, all they see is the Hokage's grandson." 

Ranma Saotome watched as the little boy poured his heart out to both himself and Naruto, who in turn sat next to the dejected Konohamaru. "Nobody sees me as me. I'm sick of that. That's why I want the Hokage name now."

"Idiot!" The blond growled after a moment and it was obvious that he'd had enough of the kid's self pity, which had been continuing for the better part of half an hour. "Who would want to acknowledge a punk like you?! The Hokage name isn't so easy that a brat like you could take it."

"WHAT?!"

Ranma chuckled, rapping the small boys helemet to irritate him further as soon as he caught on to what Naruto was doing. After all, it was only obvious to a practitioner of Anything Goes, whose primary tenant was to goad your opponent into doing what you wanted.

"'Ruto's right, kid. You're too scrawny to take over the village. Try something smaller. I passed an ant hill back on my way here."

"_ANT HILL?!"_

Naruto's smile lasted barely long enough for Ranma to notice before turning back to his charge. "He's saying it ain't that easy, moron! Hokage, Hokage," Ranma's friend mimed in a sufficiently whiny voice. "If you want the name so much, kick _my _ass first!"

Konohamaru's self loathing died right there as Naruto leaned in eyeing the boy like he was a piece of meat. Ranma smiled and leaned in over his shoulder. "And after you're done with him, you gotta take me out." The Hokage's grandchild whipped around to find the pigtailed boy staring him down coolly. "I don't wanna be Hokage or nothin' but if you can't take the best martial artist in the village, you can't be much."

The boy's head whipped from one teen to the other, as realization slowly rained downed on him. He wanted the name, but he was in no way prepared to take it for himself. He couldn't even—

"I have found you."

Naruto spun around, immediately recognizing the cold voice. Konohamaru's head snapped up likewise and turned to find a man dressed in black with black sunglasses balanced in the nearest tree above them. He took a step and landed gracefully, considering them with distain. "Uhg." He spat, taking a step forward. "Now Young Master, let's go home."

"NO!" Konohamaru shouted. "I'm going to defeat grandpa and get the Hokage name! Right now! Don't get in my way!"

Ebisu sighed wearily, shaking his head. "A Hokage must be well versed in all aspects of being a Ninja. You must know over a thousand skills and then—Wha?"

"TRANSFORM!" The Tutor missed Konohamaru's power up and watched as the boy evaporated in a puff of smoke, instantly replaced by a well proportioned nude blonde woman that was a far cry from the blob of two hours earlier, but still vaguely similar Naruto's Minako clone. "TAKE THIS! Sexy no Jitsu!"

The reaction wasn't as expected.

"Wh-Wh-WHAT A VULGAR SKILL!" The tutor twitched as his breathing increased to the edge of hyperventilation after rolling a successful save versus nosebleed. "I am a gentleman! Such a _super low-class_ skill will never work against me!"

Naruto took on a vaguely irritated look while Ranma simply sweat dropped as Ebisu continued; now pulling at the boy. "Young Master, if you hang out with the likes of him, you'll turn _stupid!_" He looked, up, spying Ranma. "That goes for you too! Just do what I say! I am your easiest shortcut to becoming Hokage! Now LET'S GO HOME!"

Naruto nudged Ranma and the pigtailed boy smiled, following the kid's lead. After nearly an hour of watching the kid demonstrate his 'super-high class skill' Ranma had a good idea on what the boy was about to do and couldn't help but to smile. Still, if the little runt hadn't been able to put a dent in this pompous weenie, what made Naruto think--

The blond stepped forward and initiated his technique first.

"_Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_

The air exploded with power and Ranma was instantly impressed as Uzumaki divided into nearly twenty clones, each indistinguishable from the other. Ranma grinned mentally. _Shadow clones_, he called them. Even better than the old ghoul's move, the pigtailed boy mused and readied his own as the instructor began to berate Naruto once more. All twenty clones took a stance, and the air crackled with energy once again.

_Ah-ha!_ Ranma smirked. _So _that's_ what he has in mind._ The martial artist shook his head, unable to fathom why so many people were willing to write this kid off. The first part was easy. The pigtailed boy took his own stance and tapped his vast reservoir of Ki.

"_Katsu Neko Ke!"_

His form blurred slightly and promptly sectioned off into twenty separate images of himself, reinforcing Naruto's own platoon of shadow clones. All forty smiled at Ebisu's new found hesitation and Ranma readied for the next step, channeling more power to his own images. The next technique wouldn't be nearly as easy, having only seen it for the first time an hour ago while trying to adapt it to his own energies ever since. Whatever Naruto was using, Ranma knew it was more than Ki, and a part of his brain instantly tagged the mixture of energies as chakra. It was also an energy he didn't fully comprehend yet, forcing him to fall back on what he did know—Ki. The Anything Goes heir began to weave that ki throughout his replicas, molding and shaping the invisible force into the matrix of his minds eye. It was taxing and damn inefficient compared to what Naruto was doing, but sufficient for the task at hand. The army of Ranmas nodded to the army of Naruto's who in turn smiled back. Power flashed across all forty clones as they stepped forward.

"_**TRANSFORM!"**_

Both techniques fired simultaneously and the great tutor Ebisu was instantly surrounded by a mass of flesh. Half of it was shapely, blond and very nude while the other half was redheaded, just as voluptuous, and no less beautiful. The sheer number of nubile blondes would have been enough to evacuate nearly a pint of blood though the tutor's nasal passages. The presence of an equal number of nude redheads with soft curves and flowing red hair ensured that several vital organs followed, flooring the man instantly. By the time it was all said and done, the clearing they had all been practicing in looked like a scene from a popular slasher flick, that is to say the one where all the happy go lucky teen campers were suddenly and viciously hacked up my a man in a hockey mask wielding an rusty chainsaw …which was why Ranma had chosen to emulate his former seventeen year old female body to begin with.

Naruto dropped the transformation, smiling as the tutor twitched in a lake of his own blood. Ranma did so with a similar smile.

"I call that one Harem no Jut—!" The would-be Ninja blinked as the pigtailed boy rolled his eyes and grabbed his friend's orange jacket by the collar, hauling him and Konohamaru into the forest.

"Let's just get out of here before somebody finds his body."

Across the city, Iruka was stepping into the Hokage's office at that exact same moment.

"I have the reports on—HOKAGE!" The instructors eyes widened as he found the elder's table and crystal ball covered in blood, while the Hokage himself lay passed out on the floor.

"_Medic!"

* * *

_

The 3rd Hokage of Konoha stared at the boy standing across from him while the boy stared back, idly wondering why the old man had a two bits of tissue stuffed into his wrinkled nose. Likewise, the village elder idly wondered if what he saw in the crystal ball only hours earlier would be the boy's female body when it fully came into its own in a few years. Sarutobi shook his head clear of the thought and focused on the business at hand.

"Iruka and Kakashi report that you are healthy and have the fortitude- mentally and physically –to endure the procedure we are about to undertake." He paused, studying the scroll on the table before him before returning his attention to Ranma. "Make no mistake, however. There is still risk. One does not toy with demons or elemental spirits lightly. Likewise, you will more than likely lose that portion of the art. Is this still the path you wish to take?"

"Yep!"

The Hokage blinked. Not even a moment's hesitation in the answer, and the boy almost seemed eager to get it done with. After what he'd heard of the teen, there was no doubt he knew the risks, so there was only one thing left to do. "Then take off your shirt and lie on the mat there. I'll light the surrounding candles momentarily."

Ranma found the stone table and sparse mat thereon easily enough and began to unbutton his pseudo Chinese silk shirt. The pig tailed boy sat on the mat and watched as the elder mumbled trough the old parchment in his hands, holding it with one hand while coaxing lit incense in the other. Kakashi and no less than six ANBU awaited the results outside. Sarutobi stepped up to the pigtailed boy and drew a complex symbol of smoke through the air before him using the incense and nodded. Ranma took the cue to lie down and the elder began to light the ceremonial candles. Twelve candles later, the Hokage had put aside the smoldering incense and now cradled a small stone basin of ink with a brush there in.

"I will now seal the Raiju," He regarded the boy before him seriously. "The ward I am about to draw you will carry to death. Prepare yourself."

Ranma nodded and slipped into the ever useful soul of ice technique of Amazon origin- Amazons that didn't exist in the here and now. The Elder's brush paused above his stomach as he noticed Ranma total suppression of power and emotion, but only for a moment. Seeing the boy watching him, he continued and the ink soaked brush touched his skin with a sizzle. The boy winced as the tip traced along his abdomen, trailing steam as Sarutobi drew the first of a circle of eight symbols. Each symbol seemed to inflict more pain and it wasn't long before Ranma heard a feline anguish echoing within his skull.

"Ahhraaa… It don't… It don't like that, old man." Ranma's muscled tensed as the Raiju began to fight against the entrapment, desperate to find some purchase on the thirteen year old Saotome's soul. It was failing however, as its non-corporeal claws slid off the combination of mental ice and mystical warding.

The Hokage nodded grimly. "That is the fifth ward. It will like the remaining three less so." The brush paused only long enough for him to soak it with ink once more. "As will you. This more than likely become more painful than not."

Ranma gritted a smile through the burning embers that seemed to smolder across his stomach, while the cat continued it's wailing.

"Seal the bitch."

The Hokage acknowledged the statement by setting the brush back to work, tracing fire across the boy's body. Each stoke actively lit with flame as it soaked into his skin causing Ranma to ground his teeth down, clutching the mat with strained white fists. His entire body twitched with the seventh seal and the hollering cat grew more and more desperate as the cage was completed around it. Anger began to take a backseat to panic, and the enraged howling turned to pitiful mewing that echoed throughout Ranma's psyche.

"AAAAHHHAARRR!"

The eighth seal touched his skin and Ranma new white-hot agony. Kakashi and his guard rushed into the elder's hut to find the bed ridden Ranma withering in torment as Sarutobi's steady hand traced the last symbol. Also heard beyond the boys screaming was the howl of a cat, seeming to echo through the night as the third dipped the brush in preparation for the final stroke.

"_Elemental Seal!"_

The brush came down and Ranma's world torment exploded into absolute torturous pain. The Raiju cried with him, but only for a moment. Searing pain flickered across his psyche one last time before merciful black overtook the martial Artist.

* * *

Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts opened his eyes, only to find himself not in the old man's hut, but in a softly lit cavern, its space illuminated by the iridescent glow of crystal outcropping from the occasional rock surface. At his feet was hand carved tiling and with a little study, the boy found himself at the center of a ring of eight symbols with a long ovular slit running down the middle. 

_A cat's eye_, he mentally noted with some form of irony. Figures that's what the old man would draw on my stomach, Ranma scoffed and continued his study of the cavern. Just great, he groused taking a step outside the ring. The old fart blasted me into a dreamscape or something. Damn cat is probably running around at this very moment and I'll probably wake up with blades in my face again.

Ranma sighed and kicked a pebble at his feet. Well, it was a nice try at least. Cures never work the way they're supposed—

"Mew."

Ranma froze as fear's icy tendrils began to wrap around him. That couldn't be…

"Meeeewww!"

The pigtailed boy turned around slowly, finding a small sliver of hell waiting at his back. The only thing that stayed his descent into terror was the fact that a line of thick bars separated himself from what was in actuality a rather _large_ sliver of hell. Still, the sight forced Ranma Saotome to take a couple of steps back on reflex.

"Wha—What—What the _hell!?_"

"Mew!"

Ranma forced himself past the panic, helped in no small part by the fact that the object of his fears was effectively caged within a small section of the cavern. Within the cage was a feline… _something_, another fact that helped him stay one step ahead of the rising tide of panic. Said feline was _huge,_ Ranma noted as it paced the cage impatiently, letting lose a sad meow every now and then to let its captor know that it was _not_ appreciating the confinement. The cat's structure was closer to that of a jaguar than a lion, though even that descriptive didn't take into account its pointed angular face or the white-blue glow of fur as electricity rippled across its skin. A long, bushy tail swished across the ground, an indication of the cat's foul mood.

"What the hell _are_ you…?" Ranma breathed with incredulity, and the cat took note of the question. It stopped its pacing and stared straight at him as if noticing him for the first time.

"Meeew!"

Ranma's panic slipped a notch at the pathetic cry directed toward his person, indicating that the cat-raiju-thing was obviously unhappy in its confined state. Ranma couldn't help but to snort at the thought. "If you think I'm letting you outta there, you're crazy!"

"Mew!"

"Yeah, well tough shit." The thirteen year old Ranma folded his arms at the feline elemental's indignation. "You caused me more than enough trouble to last a lifetime."

The cat lurched against the bars, slamming its flank into them. Ranma stepped back another step as the bars crackled with electrical current. He didn't care what they were made of, so long as they held. "Hmmf. See if I care."

The Raiju cocked its head and let out a long, pitiful meow. The martial artist simply rolled his eyes. "Like that's gonna get you anywhere."

Another meow came forth in response and the Raiju lowered itself into a prone position. Even Ranma couldn't ignore the pathetic aura rolling off the creature, and he sighed. "Look, it's only till we can get yas out of me, okay?" No reply, and the white-blue feline slunk lower in depression. Ranma shook his head. "Not as if I want ya in me to begin with, sealed or no. Uh, look… I'm gonna go, um, regain consciousness, okay?"

His only response as he walked off into the cavern's shadows was a long, pathetic meow.

* * *

Ranma Saotome's blue eyes popped open suddenly to a blurred world. Thankfully, he had enough sense this time to let that and his equilibrium stabilize before trying to prop himself upright on the mat he had passed out on. The Hokage was reading at the desk beyond and noted the movement, setting the scroll aside. 

"Welcome back to the land of the living, young Saotome." The elder greeted him with a slight trace of humor.

"Good to be back, I think." Ranma returned with dry humor as the report of pain slowly flowed in from his abdomen. There upon it was the warded cat's eye just as he had seen in the neko's prison. Around him the candles had burned down to waxy nubs, having long since lost the ability to even smolder. "Take it I've been out a while?"

"Only a few hours." Sarutobi replied, studying the boy closely. Having heard the conversation, Kakashi stepped in to view the results of his leaders' handiwork. "The sealing is complete. I am reasonably assured that it was successful."

Ranma smiled as elation overcame him. He hopped off the mat. "You bet it was! Saw the darn cat sealed up behind bars and everything!" The Hokage frowned, letting the pipe in his mouth droop. Likewise, Kakashi found himself staring at the martial artist as well. "Looks like you made a pretty strong prison too, by the looks…" His voice trailed off upon noting the stares. "Um, something on my face?"

Kakashi opened his mouth, but words failed to come forth. Sarutobi took another drag from his pipe, cocking his head in curiosity. "I thought you mentioned only water trigger your curse."

"Yeah, so?"

The old man turned, fishing a wall mounted mirror off its hooks and presented it to Ranma. The martial arts heir took it and— In the mirror, a redheaded thirteen year old girl stared back, then looked down at her body just to confirm the fact. Yep. More curves than there should have been. Ranma simply sighed, handing the mirror back to the elder.

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. "You didn't even notice?" He studied the girl. "You shifted right in front of us just now."

Ranma shook her head, clearly unenthused.

"It's always somethin', dammit…"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

And you thought this was dead :P Slow, yes, mainly because I'm still working out long term plot issues. That, and I keep finding other fics to chew on. No guarantees as to when part four will arrive, but I'll try to do better than once a year this time.

Oh noes!; _You locked Ranma as a female! You suck! Your fics suck! Burn in hell, Ozz! And now for the rest of you actually reading the ANs, no I didn't. Trust me, there is a plot._

Matchup; _I was about to decide on one but I can't. It's hard. I like Hinata as one, but I have this urge to use Tenten as well. Guess I'll have to settle for making this plot element up as I go until I decide for certain._

Shadow Clones vs Cat Hairs; _Canon Splitting Cat Hairs appears to either be an illusionary or speed technique used by Cologne in the Phoenix Pill arc, where Ranma ineffectually attempts to retrieve said pill from the Elder. A speed technique would explain the multiple strikes from different angles Ranma incurs, while an illusionary technique could be used to mask the set up of those strikes, especially as none of them ever occur simultaneously. Since rational arguments can be made for both cases, I have opted for the illusionary explanation, as it fits mainly with my previous explanations concerning Ranma and his grasp of ki. Ki is one dimensional and thus capable of projecting a mirage, but it will take actual Chakra to produce any sort of tangible clone as Naruto is capable of manifesting (spiritual+physical energy). Note, this is an anime-only technique._

**Thanks** _to prereaders DCG and Trimatter!_

Next Episode! Ranma VS Team 7! Fight!


	4. Chapter 4

**Tales of the Foxcat  
**Ozzallos

**Chapter 4 **

**  
R**anma Saotome, former seventeen year old heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts was at a loss as he walked through the winding, multi-leveled streets of the village he had come to know as Konoha. A week and a half ago he had been betrayed and beat within an inch of his now thirteen year old life. Since then he had met Naruto, a prankster of surprising depth, various ninja of the shock trooper variety, a traitorous instructor and yet another powerful old elder.

At least the latter had yet to cane or grope him. In fact, the old man had provided just the opposite. Gave him a roof over his head, tended to his wounds and provided him proper clothing for his new body. What he wore now wasn't quite the Chinese silks of old, but close. He was finding all sorts of cultural crossovers in this place, and was thus able to approximate the appearance; even if the blue double breast quasi Chinese tunic and black silk pants weren't quite the same.

Twenty four hours ago he had been subjected to the one of the most intensely painful experiences in his life, which said a lot considering his life on average. That entailed the sealing of an elemental Raiju spirit, one that was not very happy about being sealed to begin with. Ranma snorted at the thought.

_Sucks to be you._

That said, he almost felt sorry for the damn thing. Sure it was a cat and cats were, by and large evil, but watching it meow pathetically from its astral cage almost inspired him to pity the thing. _Almost._ Ranma shook his head at the thought as he passed another line of street vendors just opening for the morning. He'd gladly go through another round of excruciating agony to keep that thing sealed up given all the trouble that it had caused him.

No, the sealing and associated pain weren't the problems now. It was, as usual, the curse that was now his main source of woe. Since the sealing he had been shifting at random, twice back to his female aspect and surprisingly once back to his male aspect. Obviously it wasn't locked, as the water based trigger still worked as advertised, but now he seemed to shift at random. That either meant another trigger was involved or the old man was right; the sealing had done something to destabilize the Jusenkyo magic. Ranma winced. _That_ wasn't a pretty thought, as the last thing he needed was to go around changing genders at random. As if being a water magnet was bad enough.

Still, it wasn't all bad. So far the shifting didn't appear to be nearly as common as the water attractant element of his curse, and if could predict the shifting with some degree of accuracy, could even make allowances for it in ways he never could with the water trigger. Besides, today was a good day. Today, he began lessons, starting with the one eyed ninja. After that, it was Naruto's old teacher for lessons in Chakra. In other words, today was just going to be full of—

"Ranma!"

The thirteen year old pigtailed boy stopped short and twisted around to find a familiar blond ninja stepping out of a side street. Even if he had missed the kid's face, the loud, orange jacket said it all. "'Ruto?"

"Yeah!" The Genin picked up his pace and covered the remaining few feet to his new friend. "Where ya going?"

"Headin' out to meet ol' Cyclops." Ranma smiled at Naruto, whose face immediately took on a puzzled countenance with the statement. "Says he's got somethin' to teach… What?"

"That's where I'm going!" The two boys stopped and stared at one another for a moment, then continued their walk toward what appeared to be a mutual destination. "Huh. wonder if you get to be part of the team too?" The blond's curious expression turned into a feral grin. "Maybe you get to replace Sasuke!"

"Sasuke?" Of course, the first images the name conjured in Ranma's mind were that of a cowardly rat face ninja. The thought amused him. Sasuke found in a village full of _real_ ninja…

"Yeah. A real asshole." Naruto bit. "Thinks he's all high and mighty. But I'll show him."

"Sounds like somebody I know." Ranma blanched. "Always thought girls wanted everybody to date him."

"Exactly!" His friend smacked a fist into the other open hand. "He strings girls along left and right!"

Ranma blinked. _Hmm,_ he thought. _Maybe not quite a Kuno after all._ Chicks didn't exactly follow the upperclassman willingly. Both teens rounded another corner and continued down the street, Naruto's stomach growling the entire time. Ranma frowned with sympathy. He had gotten a _good _breakfast off the vouchers the Hokage guy was loaning him until he could get stabilized in the village. Didn't sound like Naruto was quite as fortunate this morning. "Uh, we can stop if you want?"

Naruto looked longingly at a fishball stand they were passing on the edge of town, but steeled himself, taking up a determined stride away from it. "Nope! Kakashi-sensei said not to eat and I'm not gonna eat!"

Ranma shrugged and the food cart fell behind the pair as they turned off the main road and on to a backstreet that led into a forest trail away from town. It was a nice day for new techniques, Ranma noted, taking in the cloud spackled blue sky and slight breeze. Almost reminded him of his training missions ...at least those that hadn't ended in Phoenix people, hybrid dragon princes, Amazons, curses… The pigtailed boy banished the thoughts as he followed his blond counterpart into a clearing. No, today was a good day. No fiancées, no rivals, no parents, no arranged marriages, no manly obligations… Ranma grinned openly now. Just new techniques as far as the eye could see.

Yep, definitely a great day to be a martial artist.

"That's the rest of my team." Naruto broke Ranma's introspection without even looking back at him. Ranma's eyes focused on the pink haired girl and black haired boy at the other end of the field. "The cute one is Sakura and the bastard next to her is Sasuke."

Ranma studied the pair as they closed on them. The cute one looked entirely too much like an Amazon for his taste, though her slight build indicated that she probably wasn't much of a threat. Her stance indicated she was somewhat skilled, but unless she was hiding something extraordinary, wasn't a credible threat. She appeared to be attempting to hold a cheery conversation with the bastard, who contrary to Naruto's misgivings, seemed to be participating in a less than engaging manner. _He_ was a threat, Ranma new instinctively. Maybe not to a martial artist of his caliber, but every aspect of his body language screamed 'watch out!' The bastard was the first to notice them as they crossed the field, shortly followed by the cute one as she noticed her questions were no longer receiving non-committal grunts in response. Both sets of eyes flickered briefly on Naruto, then to his person, where they lingered curiously.

The blond closed the final few feet, looking around the couple. "What, sensei isn't here yet?"

The dark haired boy shook his head with the barest of movement, keeping his eyes on the person behind Naruto. What Sasuke failed to ask, Sakura readily did. "Why did you bring her along, dummy?"

"Huh?" Naruto twisted around to find a redhead closer to his height standing behind him, causing his face to scrunch up as he studied the figure. After a moment, the concentration flowed away into a curious look. "You changed your hair _again?_"

For the barest of moments, Ranma Saotome was left speechless. It didn't take a mirror to realize what had happened, let alone a glance down at herself. Now that attention had been called to it, she was readily noting the changes in balance and perspective. _Dammit,_ she fumed silently, but managed to keep the emotion of her face. When the _hell_ had that happened? Lacking immediate answers, she settled for a simple sigh. Sure, her clothes turned baggy with this body and at thirteen her breasts weren't quite as prominent, but…

"You'll get it one of these days, dummy." Ranma replied to the dense boy next to her, then turned her attention to the pair with a light grin. "Ranma Saotome, nice to meetcha."

"Sakura." The pink haired girl smiled back, dipping into a slight bow.

"Sasuke." The other returned in a slightly frigid tone, all but confirming Ranma's suspicions of the boy. "Which still doesn't answer the question."

"Ranma will be taking part in your training," A voice replied, causing everybody to divert their attention to the man who just cleared the forest behind them. Kakashi walked over to the stump that the pigtail girl had only a few days before used in the shurikens exercise. Today, it was devoid of the lethal implements and he instead placed a rather obnoxious looking alarm clock on the flat of its surface. Ranma and Team Seven watched curiously.

"It's set for noon." The one eyed ninja clicked a switch on the clock's top. "Here are two bells." he jingled the two golden spheres lightly to focus his student's attention. "Your task is to take them before noon. Those of you who cannot get a bell before noon get no lunch." the lack of any sort of humor indicated he was serious, and Naruto immediately felt a slight panic as the ninja continued. "Not only will I tie you to one of those stumps, but I'll eat right in front of you."

Naruto's growling stomach only helped Sasuke and Sakura realize why they hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast by their Sensei, while Ranma watched the scene curiously. Much as she'd like lunch she had eaten a _large_ breakfast, much to the establishment's dismay. "You only need one bell. There are only two, so one of you will definitely get tied to the tree. Anybody who doesn't take a bell, fails. At least one of you will be sent back to the Academy."

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura's expressions mirrored on another as the full meaning of his words came to bear on them. One of them wouldn't be graduating today. _At least_ one of them. The pink haired girl's thoughts stopped short as they stumbled over a critical fact that had been missed.

"Only two bells?" The pink haired girl forwarded the question with slight trepidation. "There are four of us. That would mean at least two of us will not graduate if we don't get the bells from you, not one."

Naruto looked around their group, his head bobbing up and down as he mentally counted their number, only to stop at Kakashi's nod.

"That would be true if you were trying to take the bells from _me_." The mirth was obvious in his voice now and rattled the two bells around in his hand before tossing them to the diminutive redhead in the middle of their group, who caught them in reflex and surprise. "Your mission is to take them from _her_." All eyes were now on Ranma, who stared at the bells, then the students around her, then one-eye. "You will not succeed unless you go after her with killing intent. You can even use shurikens."

Ranma was blinking rapidly with the new development and Sakura's jaw practically left its hinges. "But… BUT we can't go after her with lethal intent! She'll be hurt!"

"Killed." Sasuke amended, but Sakura hardly noticed. Ranma did and rolled her eyes at both comments.

"As if." She smirked as the infamous Saotome ego reared its ugly head in full, then turned to Kakashi. "Ain't none of them gonna graduate today if that's the case."

Sakura's defense of the girl turned to shocked indignation instantly. "WHAT?!"

"In fact, I'd be surprised if these amateurs can even touch me."

The girl began to growl and Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously on the new redhead, who returned their attention with an obnoxious smile. Their reactions weren't a surprise to Kakashi, though Naruto's _was._ He had held his silence for most of the surprise, staring at the girl with a mixture of disbelief, puzzlement and determination. The emotions played clearly across his face, and the ninja couldn't help but to wonder what direction Naruto's pride would take him against his friend.

He didn't have long to find out.

"I WILL DEFINITELY TAKE ONE!"

The buildup to hostilities stalled as attention turned to Naruto, who stood across from Ranma with his arms folded confidentially. The pigtailed girl couldn't help but to smile, acknowledging the boy. "Nah you won't, but you're welcome to try."

She stepped clear of the group, tossing the pair of bells into the air and catching them with a light jingle while Sakura stared murderously into her back. A small, infuriated chibi-Sakura with in the girl's psyche was the source. _Pompous, egotistical, arrogant… She wouldn't kill the girl. No, that'd be bad sportsmanship. But maim her? Oh yes, definitely that. She wasn't going to get sent back to the Academy by the likes of her._

Kakashi smiled from beneath the mask as Sakura fumed and Sasuke consumed the redhead with predator's eyes. Yep, definitely killing intend with those two. Naruto on the other hand… no killing intent there, but it wasn't strictly needed in his case. The friendly rivalry that had just been sparked was more than sufficient to ensure he would go all out against the Saotome. The one-eyed ninja nodded to himself. Maybe all four of them would learn their lessons after all.

"The basics of a Ninja are to hide yourselves well." He informed the three Genin, taking their attention off the innocent looking redhead for a moment. "That will be your starting position for this test. BEGIN!"

Two streaks immediately blasted away from the girl and into the forest line beyond. While Ranma appreciated the speed, she wasn't necessarily awe inspired by it either. With those two gone, that just left…

"Say, aren't ya supposed to be hidin', 'Ruto?" Of course, with that jacket, it probably wouldn't be any use, she amended silently.

"Come and fight me!" The blond still stood across from her, arms folded confidentially.

"My bells, my rules." Ranma shook her head with a patronizing smile. "You come over _here_ and fight _me_."

"Fine!" With that singular word, Naruto launched himself forward in a blur, taking to the air while winding up to release a powerful nap kick to the passive girl's torso. The kick lined up and the boy released its potential …into air. Naruto landed and reversed the kick to compensate for the pigtailed girls rapid evasion to the right, only to watch as she ducked out of range once more by mere centimeters. "Stay still, dammit!"

"Got enough power in those attacks," Ranma commented as she ducked under a punch and sidestepped the kick combination. "But your form sucks. Could use some speed work too." The redhead backed out of another combination thrown up by her aggressor, and considered Kakashi in an almost lazy manner. "Don't tell me this is what they're teachin' in your academy now."

"Uzumaki was last in his class." Kakashi mentioned, never taking his eye off the book he had taken to read next to the stump. "You might find the others a bit more of a challenge."

"Grrrrr…" Naruto growled as Ranma hit a sore subject and redoubled his efforts to hit the martial artist. "Shut up and give me a bell!"

Across the clearing two more students watched as the redhead continued her evasion. Neither were exactly impressed at the moment as all the girl was doing was evading Naruto's attacks, and both individuals knew that Naruto was a first class slacker. Taking the bell would be child's play for them.

Another combination was wasted on thin air and Ranma sighed. "Tell ya what. Hit me once and I'll give you a bell."

Naruto stumbled past as she sidestepped his next punch and the follow up kick, spinning in the dirt. Unlike her, he was hungry and wasn't about to take all day to get lunch, let alone get tied to a post and have it eaten in front of him. It was time for some overkill. Naruto stepped into his next attack stance, smiling ferally. The familiar buildup of power wasn't lost on Ranma and she took the challenge head on.

"_Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_

"_Katsu Neko Ke!"_

The air around the pair exploded with power as Naruto and Ranma promptly sectioned into clones of themselves. Handicapped by hunger, Naruto was only able to divide himself up into nine distinct shadow clones while Ranma held numerical superiority with fifteen illusions. Her confidence in numbers didn't last as she watched each clone take up individual attack stances.

It was then she realized just how superior the Shadow Clone technique really was.

The short squad of Naruto's charged forth and Ranma's force was instantly on the defensive as she broke Naruto's technique down point by point. _They aren't just clones_, she realized as they moved to decisively engage her illusions. They're actually moving _independently!_ It was a sobering thought to realize as Naruto began his offensive, plowing into the illusionary force while Ranma tried to buy distance as she worked out how to deal with nine separate, totally autonomous aggressors. Two Naruto's came within range and tagged an illusion, disrupting the fragile ki matrix and dispelling it entirely.

_Damn!_

The problem was two fold. The first she already knew-- his clones were solid and her illusions were exactly that; little more than phantoms. The second was just now introduced to her, though she should have realized it when he demonstrated the Harem no Jitsu days ago. Her illusions were tied to her. His _weren't_. Another Naruto gained range on her ghosts. All of which meant that was either one bitch of a technique or he was a goddamn genius at multitasking.

Or both.

Ranma ground her teeth down and flipped out of range while the gang of Naruto's chased after her and her illusions. As long as she kept inside her cover, she was relatively insulated from reprisal. _For now, at any rate_. Since she didn't have the same technique to turn against him, she'd just have to improvise, which just happened to be the bedrock of her school. A spinning round house and another of her phantoms was obliterated. Without chakra, she could do little better than illusions, but maybe she could multi-task. The real Ranma faded to the back ranks of the engagement and began to concentrate on her individual images while trying to will them into a kata of evasion through force of ki. An illusion stepped out of phase with the rest as it haltingly began to respond to her manipulation. In that time, another two clones died by Naruto's hand. The modified illusion began to pick up speed and Ranma focused on programming another, only to watch as it was pulverized by a shadow clone dual technique strike; one clone leaping on the other like a springboard to pulverize the ghost with an overhead smash.

Hardly necessary, but flashy as hell.

The illusion unraveled and she found one at the back of her lines to program. Like the other, it began to diverge from her own movements at an excruciatingly slow pace while its brethren died around it. Naruto was well inside the range of her technique now and ghosts began dying left and right until only three veterans remained, operating in their evasion katas well enough now to avoid nine shadow clones.

_Now which one is the real you?_ She wondered as she circled around his left flank, occasionally modifying her illusions katas to keep her opponents on their toes. It had become far easier to concentrate as the number of illusions dwindled down to the remaining three in a precarious balance of concentration, skill and attrition. Another Katsu Neko Ke clone flashed out of existence as it was tagged by a shadow fist, and urgency gripped Ranma. It wasn't as if she couldn't tear through all nine shadow clones like toilet paper, just she wanted to be able to counter it at will, and _that _meant finding the source.

The Narutos on the other hand were grinning at the two remaining Ranmas, knowing that one of them was the real target. Either way, they were still damn hard to hit! Three clones converged on an illusion that had stepped too far away from the other and engaged it in a vicious three pronged attack. The first three kick combinations missed as did the follow-up punch combination, but the third cut in on the illusions left flank and nailed it. One left. All nine Narutos turned on the remaining Ranma.

"GET HIM!"

Nine shadow clones bum-rushed Ranma, who was able to dodge the mob for another minute before a lucky shot streaked in and tagged her with a vicious roundhouse.

_Pop!_

The fist encountered no resistance as it buried itself into ki saturated air, unraveling the illusion entirely. All nine skidded to a halt as the image destabilized before them.

"Where did he go?!"  
"Hey! Get back here!"  
"Just an illusion?!"  
"No way!"  
"Then where's the real one?!"

"Behind ya." Naruto didn't even get a chance to spin around before two fingers found his spine, one to the right of its base and the other one just below the third vertebrae. "Lights out, 'Ruto."

Stars exploded across the boys vision, and two students and one instructor watched the boy crumple like a sack of potatoes. With their master down, Naruto's puppets lost cohesion and evaporated instantly. Ranma cocked her head at the inert blond, then turned her attention to the one eyed Ninja, whose one eye was found to be on her. She snorted to herself, hefting the boy across her shoulder and depositing him gently at Kakashi's feet. This kid was _heavy_.

"Don't know why ya all are so eager to pan this kid." She looked from Kakashi's face down to the kid mentioned. "Drop-outs don't learn techniques like that."

Kakashi nodded in a non-committal fashion at the observation. "And how did you defeat it?"

"He's damn good with those clone things, but he's still new at it." Ranma shrugged, flipping her red pigtail back over her shoulder. "'Ruto's telegraphin' his movements before the clones take their own initiative." She paused looking down at the boy. "Doubt he'll have that problem much longer once—oops, one sec."

The girl had barely finished her sentence when a group of knives and stars erupted from the foliage, imbedding themselves deep into the redhead's skull and torso. The girl seemed to tip for a moment before exploding into wisps of smoke, revealing a shredded silk shirt. The perforated fabric drifted to the earth as the Uchiha boy followed his strike into the clearing, skidding to a halt upon realizing his error.

_Underestimated her!_ Sasuke's brain screamed as his head whipped around, attempting to ascertain where the girl had displaced herself to. The answer came from his right, and he spun around into a defensive crouch as the smirking redhead hopped lightly off a nearby tree branch. "That evil shirt almost got me. Thanks, man."

The Uchiha genius ground his teeth down at the girls lilting, condescending voice. Said girl was now in a black tank top, none the worse for the wear as she considered him with amusement. He'd be changing that attitude shortly. Sasuke's hand flicked across his belt and a series of knives fanned through his fingers, extending out into the girl as a blur. A direct assault would have to do, as he had made the mistake in assuming the girl wouldn't even warrant additional traps or subterfuge. The knives streaked forth and imbedded themselves into her tree as she sidestepped right, a clearly bored expression inhabiting her face.

His other hand cut loose another salvo and he followed it in hard with a spinning round house kick as she attempted the second evasion. Both attacks met air as she neatly hopped out of the kick's radius and began stepping around him to avoid the intense combinations he was throwing out. So far the genius of the Uchiha clan hadn't even _touched_ her.

That didn't necessarily concern Ranma. The boy might have given Shampoo a run for her money, but she'd have to be sleeping before Sasuke could even think about touching her, and even _that_ probably wasn't a fair handicap. What did concern her was biology, specifically her own. She was fast. Too fast. Years of martial arts had taught Ranma her limits in both forms and she had found that her female aspect had a slight edge when it came to speed. That edge was no longer so slight the redhead noted as she ducked under a punch that seemed to drift lazily past her cheek. Her reaction times were quick, far quicker than the norm, forcing her timing off ever so slightly. While that was good and all, that same martial arts experience had taught her that there were always tradeoffs.

Sasuke renewed his attack and this time, Ranma took it on purpose to test her body out. Impacts jarred against her bracers and she was forced back, but threw a couple of punches to test his guard. Her fists and kicks met with solid resistance and she frowned. Something was definitely off with her body now. On average, her female aspect was a trade off in speed and power, gaining a margin of the former and losing some of the latter. Over all, the tradeoff was minimal, normally barely enough to decide most fights. In fact, it was her reach that was more of a handicap than anything else in hand to hand, but something had changed that equation. Now she was lightning fast- way faster than her girl type had ever been -but the deficit in strength was a bigger factor as well. She'd either have to alter her fighting style to accommodate pressure point combat or dump more ki into her strikes just to break even.

Ranma profiled right to evade another sharp kick and Sasuke snarled, retracting and stepping out of hand to hand range. "You _will_ acknowledge me." The redhead watched as his hands came together and began to twist into formed signs.

"_Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

The flare of power was her only warning as the boy took a deep breath and blew it across the crook of his fingers, immediately igniting the air in front of his lips with flame. The flame expanded and Ranma's eyes widened as a massive fireball enveloped her. The raging inferno continued for another five seconds before the Uchiha expended his breath and the stream of flame died out, leaving a smoldering zone of scorched ruin before him. _Hmmf,_ he snorted mentally, surveying the smoking damage. With any luck, the bells will have survived even if she—

"OOOF!"

The smoke parted suddenly and the air exploded out of Sasuke's lungs as a blur materialized before him. His eyes bulged as the fist imbedded itself deep into his stomach, actually lifting him off the ground a couple of inches with the force. Even through the stars dancing across his vision, he could see and what he saw was far from what he expected. Standing before him was not a slight redheaded girl but a black haired boy dressed in the burning remains of the same clothing.

"All this killin' intent crap is startin' to piss me off."

Sasuke's stunned state gave Ranma Saotome all the time in the world to pull the fist back and whirl around into a round house kick that connected viciously with the ninja boy's face, sending him tumbling painfully across the field. The uncontrolled skid indicated that the pig tailed boy's kick had indeed been a decisive one and he tumbled to a halt, fighting to even roll himself off the dirt. Sasuke's blurred vision caught the smoking boy as he began to advance on him with a perturbed expression across his face.

"Dammit, I just got these too." The kid grumbled as another section of charred cloth flaked away with the wind and turned his attention to the boy struggling to push himself off the Earth. "Ya got good form, decent speed and that fire thing of yours was a surprise, but your attitude _sucks_."

Kakashi watched with amazement as the singed boy closed on his student, rewarding Sasuke's efforts to gain footing by kicking his legs out from under him and depositing the Uchiha painfully back to the earth. Kakashi was almost certain that the fire blast had taken Ranma by complete surprise- Hell, it had taken _him_ by surprise –but apparently it mattered little. The Saotome had simply stepped out of the fireball and commenced to dismantle one of the most promising ninja of this year's class. Granted, the new boy should have been burned to a crisp, but…

"SASUKE!"

Shurikens flashed around Ranma as he turned to watch the pink haired girl fly out of the clearing, loosing salvos as she rushed him. He only had to make the slightest of movements to avoid the majority of the enraged girl's desperate attempts while forcing him to catch only one. When Sasuke looked up at his nemesis, he found its tip pointed squarely at his forehead where the pigtailed boy had caught it. His eyes widened as the blade's edge flashed in the sunlight.

"Your girlfriend sucks almost as much as you do."

Before Sasuke could even register indignation at the comment, Ranma was already on the move, apparently content to charge the girl directly. He watched as the martial artist danced around another salvo of the lethal implements and cocked a fist back for a good old fashion haymaker. Sakura smiled grimly as the boy telegraphed the move so obviously and readied her own counter when the stance disappeared. Ranma flowed right like mercury around her and touched her once in the small of her back. She attempted to compensate for the opening as she overshot, but found her legs dead. Newton took over the girl's trajectory from there and she tripped face first into the ground, rolling to a halt by the person she was attempting to save in the first place.

Ranma considered the thoroughly beaten pair and relaxed his stance, assuming a crooked smile. "And that's the end of today's lesson."

* * *

"You all three should quit at being ninjas." 

The words turned what looked like a slim chance of passing their final to ash as the members of Team 7 gaped at their one-eyed instructor. Sasuke's glared at both the instructor and the instrument of his torment, one Ranma Saotome, while Sakura simply stared in muted shock. Naruto fumed with anger as he struggled against the confines of being tied to a log.

"Quit as ninjas?!" He hollered, quivering with anger but remaining firmly rooted to the log. "What do you mean by that!?"

Kakashi simply shook his head. "Tell these _punks_ why they should quit being ninjas, Ranma."

Ranma Saotome arched an eyebrow at the suggestion but decided to play along. "Cuz they kinda suck."

Naruto glared with betrayal, but it was Sasuke whose muscles that tensed, launching up with murderous intent rolling off of him as he charged the pigtailed boy. The black haired boy readied his strike, but his target was already on the move, circling left. The Uchiha followed him through the evasion, fully intent on tearing him apart when Ranma stopped suddenly, thrusting his fist skyward. There were only two and a half revolutions to the technique and it was nowhere near full power, but it was more than enough to call forth the elemental catalyst and ensnare Sasuke, sweeping him skyward about twenty feet in brutal compression before stalling for lack of fuel. From their, gravity embraced him once more and the ground claimed him.

Hard.

"_Don't do that to Sasuke-kun!"_

Ranma blanched at Sakura's cry as dust coiled out from around his relaxed stance. _That sounded entirely too much like Akane defending P-chan_, he thought as he stepped past his victim. The other two students simply stared at the power being thrown around by a boy no older than themselves while Kakashi blinked.

That was certainly one way to demonstrate failure.

"And _that's_ the reason you all suck." Ranma motioned to the Uchiha while looking at Sakura, then Naruto. The black haired boy was once again peeling himself from the earth in a painful manner. "Together you _might_ have been able to get a bell off me, and I stress _might,_ but what did ya all do?" He shook his head. "'Ruto here went for the frontal assault without backup. Bad idea. Sakura, all ya did was wait in the trees 'til lover boy took a fall before charging blindly into harm's way. Weak."

He turned away from Sakura's fuming at the lover boy comment and back to Sasuke, who had managed a sitting position. "High and mighty here just decided to hell with ya all and tried to do it himself. It don't work with dragon princes and it don't work with me." Then, a mischievous smile crept across Ranma's face. "In the end, you ain't any better than blondie over there."

The remark struck home and the Uchiha boy ground his teeth down, glaring at his object lesson. It was an intense glare, but he had enough sense to realize there was no way he was taking the boy down_. Today, at least._ Kakashi simply nodded with each point as the pigtailed martial artist ticked them off, though the comment concerning dragon princes gave him pause before taking over the discussion.

"Ranma is exactly right." He agreed, stepping into the group. "Of course superior individual ability is important to a ninja, but what is even more important is 'teamwork'."

Ranma watched as Kakashi proceeded to break their failures down point by point, even threatening Naruto and Sasuke's lives in order to drive the lesson home before giving them a second chance. The caveat to that second chance was everybody _but_ Naruto could have lunch. If he ate so much as a morsel, they all failed. With the ground rules laid, he turned back to Ranma, motioning the boy to walk with him. The pair made their way across the clearing, away from the trio and the stone monuments that held the names of the fallen.

"And did you learn your lesson?"

The martial artist chuckled slightly. "Which one?"

The frown in Kakashi's voice was obvious. "The one that should have gotten you killed at least once today." Ranma opened his mouth for a witty retort, then closed it as his ego took a slight hit. "Best case scenario was that you should have walked away with first degree burns."

"Ah. Yeah, that one." Ranma frowned as well, remembering the technique clearly.

"The Uchiha is quite serious about this." Kakashi nodded now that he had the boy's undivided attention. "As are others. While we aren't sure where you came from, one thing must be made clear to you… Killing is a fact of life in this corner of the world, especially as a ninja of Konoha." The boy remained silent, and the one-eyed ninja took it as an invitation to continue. "Though we do not murder at the drop of a hat, there are those that will, those that will leave you no quarter when it comes to incapacitating them. To dispatch them, lethal force is necessary, do you understand?"

"Damn." Ranma shook his head as the concept rolled around in his brain. "I've kinda been pridin' myself in not takin' that road. Only did it once."

Even though his expression maintained its bored countenance, Kakashi had to admit surprise that the boy before him had killed, and nodded with sympathy. "Here, such pride will get you killed. Sasuke was a prime example of that. There are people who will not hesitate to kill you to obtain their goals, while using your blindness in that area to their advantage."

"I… I see." The martial artist swallowed the jagged little pill bitterly. He could afford to take such chances with Mousse and Ryoga. Not only were their skills an order beneath his own, but much as they claimed otherwise, he hadn't thought they were serious… until two weeks ago, when Ryoga himself had used that blindness against him. He should have taken the lost boy and his death threats more seriously, but… "Okay, so you're sayin' its rough out here."

"Sasuke is a product of his environment." The Kakashi nodded. "As is Naruto to a degree. Unfortunately, lethal violence is a tool all too readily reached for to resolve disputes and it must be met with in kind more often then not."

"Not like back home, that's for sure." Ranma mentioned in a low voice, his contemplation on the matter evident. "I mean, some places were like that, but…"

"Just remember, it's an option like any other." Kakashi continued. "Possibly not the first, but one that should be readily at your disposal, not waiting as a last resort. Lives will depend on it."

"Right." Ranma nodded slowly, looking at the tattered remains of clothing that were his own lesson. "Damn that wannabe and his fireball."

"How did you survive that without injury, anyway?" The Ninja's single eyebrow arched curiously. "It looked like Sasuke took you by total surprise."

"He did," The thirteen year old admitted flatly. "Barely got enough buffering up in time to save what's left of my clothing."

"So…?"

"Phoenix pill." Ranma supplied. "Makes the person who eats it impervious to high temperatures. I've survived worse than the kid was capable of pumping out, though I've got no desire to test its top end."

"Interesting." Kakashi nodded, digesting the new information.

"Interesting ain't the word." Ranma elaborated. "Especially not considering the trouble I had to go through to get it."

"Hmm." Kakashi mused, then looked back across the clearing. "Let's go see if the punks of mine passed or not, shall we?"

"Sound like a plan." Ranma smiled.

* * *

"I knew something like this was going to happen!!" 

Naruto Uzumaki struggled against the tight bindings of rope, twisting a writhing futilely as his two teammates and instructor left practice range five. The blond grumbled to himself, continuing to struggle against Kakashi's knots. Supposively all three of them had passed the one-eyed instructors test, so if that was the case, why was he still tied up? _So much for the team concept_, Naruto grumped mentally as the trio disappeared down a path on the far side of the range. His struggling ceased and after a moment of stillness, his mood began to sour. Under normal circumstances he would either destroy the rock he was bound to or cut the ropes, but he had since been liberated of every weapon and the bite of food he had grudgingly received from Sasuke was nowhere close to what was required to brute force his way out of the entrapment. The thoughts flashed through his head and burbling indignation toward his predicament quickly turned to burning resentment.

"ALL SHOW ALL OF YOU, DAMMIT!" the ropes strained again, but the knots held with the same force as before. "I'LL SURPASS ALL THE HOKAGES!" Silence greeted him as the clouds continued to roll in across the horizon. His struggling ceased. "I'll show all of you…"

"Screw 'em."

The words cut through Naruto's self loathing more effectively than a blade ever could and the boy twisted around in a desperate bid to sight the speaker. Who it happened to be was a forgone conclusion and Ranma Saotome stepped into view, lightly balancing a kunai tip first on his index finger. The digit flicked and the blade's handle flipped around into his hand where it was immedietly flung into the side of the stone, slicing a key knot that held the rope taut.

Naruto's elation at the slackening rope was immediately held in check by the memory of his recent defeat. "What do _you_want?"

The Saotome rolled blue eyes. "C'mon, you ain't still sore about that are ya?"

Blue eyes glared back at him and the boy shrugged the ropes off, standing up. "You didn't have to humiliate me in front of everybody."

"Hey, I ain't the one who tied you up." Ranma sighed, shaking his head. "'Cides, you want me to recognize you, right?"

Naruto blinked with turn in conversation. "Yeah?"

"Well that was one bitch of a technique you pulled." The martial artist admitted with a shrug. "Countering it was a bigger pain in the ass than anything Sas or Pink threw at me."

The blinking continued. "It… It was?"

"Was." Ranma confirmed. "Don't know anybody back home who can do that." A smile crept across Naruto's face, prompting Ranma to smile as well. "I mean that, but I was also serious about your form. Needs some polish." He seemed to think on the matter for a moment. "Maybe I can even give you a few pointers."

Naruto nodded silently, falling in beside Ranma as he began his departure from the practice range. The rolling grey clouds above had gained substance and his nose twitched as a tiny drop found his nose and the surrounding humidity approached critical mass. The blond stared at his friend, the one person in the team of students and instructors that hadn't left him tied to a rock. Ranma was _good_, but more importantly, he recognized him and hadn't forgotten about him. Getting Taijutsu pointers from somebody who could drop Sasuke so effortlessly was simply icing on the cake at this point. A warm glow filled the boy with the revelation and it was feeling so rare that he savored it as it flowed through him. He had a friend. An honest to God friend. The smile on his face persisted for another few minutes as the pair found the path back into town when another thought occurred to him.

"Just how did you get so good, anyway?"

Ranma snorted. "Been practicin' the since the day I could walk."

Naruto nodded enthusiastically as the two walked the trail through the dense tropical foliage. Droplets began to dimple the broad leaves around them. He pounded a fist into his open palm. "Then I need to train the same way!"

The thirteen year old martial artist stopped short and Naruto nearly ran into the boy as he turned. Ranma leveled a serious gaze on the boy. "No. you don't want to do that."

"But why not?! I can be—"

Ranma shook his head again. "Look, I'll help ya out, but I ain't putting you through what my old man put me through."

The gravity of his tone stopped Naruto's eager probes cold, leading to befuddlement. "Why wouldn't I…?"

His gaze held the blond a moment longer before shaking his head. "You'll see soon enough."

The question died on his lips as the rain began in earnest, dotting the broad leaves around the boys and pouring through the high tree canopy above_. Just like China_, Ranma mused as Naruto's eyes widened. That alone was more than enough to confirm the activation of the curse, as if the subtle nuances of shifting genders wasn't sufficient. Rain water poured down around her, soaking her already charred silk and revealing her figure further to the gaping boy. Ranma leveled a dispassionate stare back.

"Now do ya see?"

"But… but…" Naruto Uzumaki gibbered, trying to comprehend the change in his friend he couldn't possible ignore. Changing hair color at the drop of a hat was something he had since accepted about his friend. A tad odd, but then who wasn't in Konoha? Shrinking a couple of inches and gaining curves that no boy his age had any right owning was another matter entirely. _A genjutsu?_ His brain immediately dismissed the idea. There had been no power-up, no movement, no nothing. The boy had simply melted away before his eyes, leaving… _her_.

For her part, Ranma simply continued to watch the boy with a sinking heart. It was a look she had seen too many times before and on too many people to count, allowing the pessimistic nature born from too many rejections to dominate her thought process. Words such as freak and pervert flashed through her mind, translating into a visible frown.

"Look, I gotta go." The red head turned her back on the blond boy and began to walk down the path. "Cya around… I guess."

A soaked and speechless Naruto Uzumaki stared at the now female Ranma Saotome as she sauntered off, disappearing around the next curve.

* * *

Iruka watched the redhead weave her way through a group of school children only a few years younger than herself as she made her way up the hall and to his classroom. Even wet, the crimson head of hair was easy to pick out in the crowd and drew more than a few looks from the passing students. _Like Naruto in that respect_, the teacher observed as he leaned on the wall just outside his own classroom. Bright colors weren't exactly a predominant hereditary trait in Konoha and Naruto's hair, let alone his style, pushed the extreme envelope of that rule. Apparently he was now in the habit of collecting friends as extreme as he was. His newest student cleared the throng and he still found himself staring quite unintentionally. The girl he was now studying was, in fact, a boy as well as an accomplished martial artist. _He_ would have fit right in with the other students. _She_ stood out like a beacon… like Naruto. Iruka chuckled to himself as the girl clad in baggy silks drew closer and wondered how Ranma, born male, felt about growing up into what promised to be a beautiful woman. It was certainly unnerving enough for him to think about, let alone contemplate experiencing for himself. Blue eyes caught sight of him and he frowned slightly. Something was off about her. While he couldn't claim in depth experience in dealing with Ranma, she was definitely missing that spark he had come to recognize. 

"Ya just gonna stare all day or do I get to learn somethin'?" Ranma remarked testily as she walked up. Iruka blinked and sent her an apologetic look.

"Ah, sorry. It's just…"

"Yeah, I get a lot of that." The expression darkened before she relented. "Sorry, just a sore subject."

"Then why don't you just change back?" The instructor asked, leading the way into the empty classroom.

Ranma took her cue and entered, taking in the room full of desks, a practice mat for sparing and various charts hanging from the wall. Her mood improved as she noted they were physiological in nature, pointing out vulnerable points across the body.

Now _this_ was her kind of school.

"Because I learned somewhere back that it's just a thing." She commented, continuing her self-invited tour of Iruka's classroom, fingering another scroll outlining energy flows throughout the body. She didn't bother adding that it was an incredibly annoying thing at times, but… "Ain't no cure and I can't exactly go avoiding water the rest of my life, so it's either roll with it or go insane. I'll change back when it's convenient."

Iruka nodded, rubbing at the scar across his nose unconsciously. _Adapt or go insane, indeed_. He could only imagine his first reaction when _she_ was originally cursed. The teacher shook his head mentally. _I'd probably go screaming my head off_. The fact that she wasn't even bothering to change probably indicated something significant about her past, but he simply didn't know enough about her to take a stab as to what it meant. _But that's her business_, the teacher decided. _She'll open up when she's ready_.

"Alright then. Either way, it shouldn't affect your training here." Iruka confirmed, his curiosity satisfied for the moment. "Chakra 101."

Any trace of gloom about the girl vanished and she turned her attention on him with an intensity that nearly caused him to wince. "Hit me."

Iruka nodded with a slight smile, pulling a rolled up chart down from the front wall. Whatever Ranma may have been, she was definitely ready to learn, a fact that he planned on taking full advantage of. "Chakra is the life energy flowing through the body. It is 'molded' in such a way as to allow the user to perform various techniques from mundane to highly advanced."

"Like 'Ruto's shadow clones." She remarked, studying the chart of tangled lines flowing throughout the illustrated body. Several swirls had been painted within the lines. While obviously important, their meaning was lost on Ranma, and she turned her attention back to her newest sensei.

Iruka nodded, but his demeanor turned serious. "A highly advanced technique, but one not to be taken lightly."

Ranma cocked her head, finding one of the desks in the front row of the classroom. "And why is that? I mean, it's nasty and all to face, but…"

"Imagine dividing your life force across several different bodies." The teacher explained in a grave manner. "Not simply that, but imagine splitting your sensory input across that same number. It would be fatally easy for a novice user to divide his chakra up too much and exhaust his own life force outright. Likewise, the same user might very well go into shock when his clones start to incur damage. It reverberates back to the user like puppets on a string."

"So he actually feels the pain of a clone bein' destroyed?" Ranma's eyes widened. _That_ would be a severe combat liability.

"Not per se." Iruka explained, pulling his desk chair out and dragging closer to wear Ranma sat. "Physical pain isn't necessarily felt, but the shockwave of chakra being snuffed out _is_."

"Then how the hell can blondie summon twenty of 'em and not feel it?" Curiosity was eating the girl alive and Iruka couldn't help but to smile at such an unabashed hunger for knowledge.

"We suspect," The scarred instructor made a point to make sure no eavesdroppers present, serving as a visible reminder to Ranma that Naruto still had secrets to be kept, "that his _condition_ may very well be buffering him from both issues."

Ranma's eyes unfocused as he began to breakdown the implications. "Which means whatever 'Ruto's got in him is pretty damn powerful."

"It almost leveled the village." Iruka added somberly, bringing the redhead back to the present.

"I see."

Iruka nodded. "I believe you do. Perhaps more than most."

A moment of silence drifted between the pair for a moment before the teacher broke it with an easy smile. "We'll trade tales of tragedy at a later date. For now I need to know what you can do with chakra."

Ranma took the change of subject in stride and smiled as well. "Still ain't sure about the physical aspect you keep talkin' about but I got ki nailed."

"Then let's see what you can do."

Ranma scooted out of the chair and stepped onto the straw practice mat in the center of the room. "How big ya want it?"

Iruka shrugged. "Big as you can make it."

Ranma grinned impishly. "Not if you want somethin' left of this room."

He shot the girl a skeptical look and folded his arms. "Then impress me."

The impish grin turned downright evil in nature and Iruka only had a second to consider what the girl was thinking before the room was flooded by a wave of power that quickly tore into the visible spectrum around Ranma. The teacher stumbled out of his chair and took a reflexive step back as the martial artist stood idly by as if the massive power expenditure was a minor consideration.

Blue aura floated around the girl lazily, bathing her in an ethereal glow as she considered her instructor with a smug grin. Iruka barely noticed. "I… I think that's good enough."

"Uh uh." Ranma grinned sweetly. "You said ta impress you."

"Really, you don't need—"

The Saotome extended an arm out and bright blue aura coalesced within her outstretched hand, growing to the size of a basketball before halting in expansion. She scrutinized the ball for another moment before nodding to herself and letting the arm drop. Iruka only just managed to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor as she concentrated on the ball exclusively.

It began to move.

"Now this is the hard part." The sphere of ki crawled through the air before her, slowly making its way toward the instructor, who tentatively stepped up to it, examining the manifestation of energy. A bead of sweat began to roll down her forehead. The sphere held for another few moments before evaporating entirely, allowing Ranma to fall to her knees with the exertion. To the casual observer- those not immediately impressed by a floating blue ball of spiritual power –pushing ki at a snails pace through the air might not have been as flashy as a reducing a piece of cohesive matter to dust, but the instructor standing above her wasn't a casual observer and knew exactly what the display was meant to convey. The power was obvious, but the point was _control_. The list of people who had that sort of control in the village was small. _Damn_ small.

The display was enough to where he simply forgot any reflexive move to help the panting girl up. "I'm… Impressed. Very."

The girl took another couple of breaths before rocking off her knees and regaining her balance. "Yeah, well, you asked for it. Can't push it much further than that though."

Iruka seemed to think on the matter for another couple of moments. "I was led to believe that the exertion on your… _younger_ body was too much?"

"Physical exertion." The redhead corrected, "Ki is spiritual energy and that didn't get changed."

The instructor absorbed this fact, favoring her with an almost amused look. "No, I'll bet it didn't. Regardless, your… _rei_ appears to be rather unfocused. More focused than the average person mind you, but entirely disproportionate to the level of ki you're maintaining." Iruka's look became a studied one. "In some ways, the kids in the hall have the upper hand, as we've been guiding them toward chakra manipulation from day one."

"So I got some catchin' up to do." Ranma grimaced at the thought of being compared to, let alone falling behind school children. It didn't help that the thought directly chained with the reminder that she was now a thirteen year old herself. "So what's next?"

"We attempt to focus your rei." The teacher answered, holding out his hand and producing the flame he had originally enticed Ranma with a week earlier. The smallish fire danced in his hands, entrancing the girl. "Mixing your ki and rei evenly is vital to molding chakra. Power never hurts—"

"Like 'Ruto."

"Like Naruto." Iruka nodded. "But control will make or break a chakra user. There's no denying Naruto is gifted," _perhaps to an unnatural degree_, he added mentally, "But power will only get him- and you –so far."

"Well, yeah." Ranma remarked with a slight edge, reminding the teacher that this particular thirteen year old didn't require spoon fed lessons.

"Right." He continued. "So the first order of business is balance and control. I suspect your experience has already brought it up to a usable level, just that it lacks organization. After that, we work on integrating it with your ki. I think."

A thin, red eyebrow raised. "You _think_?"

Iruka nodded. "You must understand that the concepts of separate spiritual and physical energy are foreign to us. It's all chakra. The fact that you've accomplished so much with only one part of what we've always assumed has a complete component is amazing, quite frankly."

"Yeah, that's me." Ranma deadpanned. "So I get to organize rei."

"Correct." Iruka confirmed once more, motioning to the chart behind him. "I can help with the theory aspect. Internally, it's going to come down to you. Maybe some meditation or—"

"Nah." Ranma flashed a mischievious smile and took a stance. "Let's try this."

The words no sooner left the girl's mouth then a look of intense concentration clouded her face. Muscles tensed but the same unnatural display that manifested only ten minutes before failed to appear. The girl grunted and bit down and it was obvious to the instructor that the girl was trying to force… _something_. It wasn't anything substantial, but there was a barely perceptible 'burble'.

_"RRRrrrrrrrRRRR…!"_

Iruka's eyes widened as the most unladylike sound rumbled from the girl and her eyes closed as if she were fighting an internal battle. He was about to call her to stop but froze mid-stride. _It_ was barely visible. _It_ hung in the air before her. _It_ was a wispy swirling sphere the size of a softball. The ghostly shape wavered in and out of existence over the space of the next fifteen seconds when the force he felt spiked sharply.

"RANMA!"

The girl's eyes popped open just long enough to perceive the sphere of rei before rolling up into the back of her head. Iruka barely crossed the distance fast enough to prevent his newest student from falling bonelessly to the floor.

* * *

"Do all your students graduate with suicidal death wishes, Iruka?"  
"I honestly had no idea she… _He_ was going to attempt that."  
"It is fortunate that he has a substantial buffer of physical energy, otherwise…"  
"What was he trying to do anyway?"  
"Project his rei externally if I'm not mistaken."  
"That's not so unusual."  
"Externally, as in free floating, two feet in front of her. Him. Dammit."  
"I… see."  
"He awakes." 

The voices floated around Ranma as her eyes fluttered open to reveal three faces hovering over her. The first with the scar across the bridge of his nose was immedietly recognizable. Sensei Iruka Umino. The second he recognized by description only. The woman was deathly pale- almost albino –with red eyes and long flowing black hair. Yuhi sensei, she decided then focused on the remaining woman. This woman was clad in steel mesh body armor with clothing discreetly covering up some of the more revealing aspects of her figure, a sharp contrast from sensei Yuhi's classic red and white obi. She had sharper features than her pale counterpart framed by shorter black hair.

All three were now looking down at her.

"Oooowww…" Ranma fought the urge to sit upright to get her bearing and instead settled for the mat and the faces staring down at her. "Uhhg… This feels worse then gettin' zapped by Hinako sensei. What happened?"

"We're still trying to determine that for ourselves." The shorter haired woman commented, leaning over him and affording the girl an excellent view of her assets through the mesh body glove. "I'm Anko Mitarashi and you're very lucky you didn't kill yourself, kid."

"Story of my life." Intentional or not, Ranma had more than enough practice in keeping his attentions above the neckline and brushed off the missive, slowly pushed herself- himself –up into a sitting position. He looked at his own hands with a contemplative expression, noting the lower notes of his voice. "Nice ta know I can kill myself back into a guy, though."

"Indeed." The woman commented quietly, studying the boy with veiled curiosity.

"But what happened?" Iruka leaned down, scrutinizing his student further for clues as to what caused the blackout. "I mean, overexertion is the obvious culprit."

"No, more than that." Kurenai Yuhi inserted, then turned back to the sitting thirteen year old before continuing. "This goes beyond mere exhaustion. It would appear that while your sufficient energies are sufficient, it simply isn't cohesive enough."

Ranma blinked. "Eh, cohesive?"

"Your spiritual energy is very organized; highly pressurized if you will." Ranma nodded and regained his footing as she continued. "Your physical energy is disorganized and lacks the same pressure."

"You're saying that she," Anko commented, fumbling over the pronoun. Ranma didn't appear to notice and seemed intent on bouncing on his heels, testing his balance. "_He_ pulled too hard at the rei."

"Guess it makes sense." Ranma remarked flexing his leg by leaning into it while proving that he had been in fact following the entire conversation. "Pulled too hard, sucked a lot of vacuum and ate dirt."

"Theoretically." The pale woman agreed. "I wouldn't advise trying to project rei into open air at this stage of your studies."

"Now where were you a half hour ago?" Ranma snorted, then suddenly quieted. After a few seconds of silence, he turned to Iruka. "Didn't ya say it was possible to divide yer chakra to the point of death?"

Iruka nodded slowly, wary of the boy's new found seriousness. "Yes…?"

"The same with just plain runnin' out of chakra?"

Iruka nodded again. For the average person, such an event would be nearly impossible. For any ninja who purposely manipulated it to perform advanced techniques it was very possible to run your life force into the redline and simply… fail. Ranma watched the nod and his mood darkened. The pair barely heard his next words.

"_Damn you_ Happosai…"

Anko forwarded the question that was on their collective lips. "What's a 'happosai'?"

"Damn pervert." Ranma bit in reply. "But that ain't the problem. The problem is if Hinako sensei ever manages to tap rei from the technique he taught her."

"I'm missing something…" Iruka inserted, allowing name to nod with him.

"Okay, here's the short version." The pigtailed boy began, stepping back over to a desk and inserting himself into it's chair. "Happosai's a master of my art. A pervert. One day he had an attack of conscious for this sick little girl and taught her a technique that boosted her own metabolism by drainin' another person's ki. Always wondered how she never managed ta kill anybody with it."

"Impressive." Kurenai commented, fingering her ample lips. "Perhaps she didn't drain enough?"

"Oh, she drained enough, alright." Ranma shook his head. "Enough to age her from a eight year… old…" The boy's eyes glazed over with sudden realization. "Son of a _bitch_."

All three adults looked at the boy curiously. He took another couple of seconds in collecting his thoughts before relaying the revelation. "Hinako sucks up enough ki to transform her from an eight year old girl to twenty somethin'. She can drain me dry if it helps for any sort of measuring stick, let alone the poor shmoes that get in her way."

"The rei." Iruka blinked, realizing his point.

"'Zactly." Ranma tapped a finger pointedly against the desk. "Only reason the old letchs' technique didn't kill anybody was because he's just as clueless as the rest of us are concerning this chakra business."

"Your old master sounds fairly benign." The red eyed female remarked, earning another nod from Ranma.

"The old fart is mostly harmless until he doesn't get his way." Ranma explained grimly. "He's old as dirt but as tough as they come. Best I could do before I left was break even half the time when we threw down."

"Speaking of throwing down," Iruka commented, earning Ranma's undivided attention as the instructor turned back to Kurenai, "I think it might be wise to delay his assessment."

"I would tend to agree." Kurenai agreed, studying the boy. Even though he appeared to be upright and healthy, she could tell that his energies were still on the unstable side.

"Ain't objectin'." Ranma comment, stretching his back. "I'm wiped here."

"Well, if the excitement is over here, I have students to harass." Anko shrugged, flashing a grin back at Ranma as she departed through the classroom doorway, affecting a dramatic sashay. "See you around, kiddo."

Ranma frowned at the 'kiddo' remark as she disappeared from sight. "Just who the heck was that, anyway?"

"Anko-chan is a head examiner on the Chunin advancement board." Iruka explained as he rolled up a scroll on his desk. "If you ever hope to obtain an official rank within the village, she'll be one of the instructors evaluating you."

"Just as I will be evaluating your grasp of Genjutsu." Kurenai added. "But that can wait until tomorrow. I doubt you'd be at your best after draining yourself so thoroughly."

Ranma thought about objecting the fact for a moment but retracted the idea before it hit his mouth. "Yeah, well…'Cides, I got stuff to work out."

"Then tomorrow." The red eyed women nodded, showing herself out of the room and leaving the two alone.

Iruka stared into the empty doorway for a moment then shrugged, turning back to Ranma. "I think physical practice is out for the day, so how about some theory work?"

Ranma's mood immediately brightened, something his closest acquaintances would have sworn was impossible when it came to studying. Of course, the area of study was martial arts and their surprise would have died as quickly as it surfaced.

* * *

Ranma Saotome, displaced heir of the Anything goes school of martial arts sat on the granite head of the first Hokage, staring into golden sunset and the pinkish yellow lines of clouds that framed the sky around it. The heir's blue eyes may have been directed toward the westerly sky, but his thoughts were far from it. Instead, they were focused on the five yen piece rolling from knuckle to knuckle in his right hand. 

He had come to Konoha with next to nothing to his name save the clothes on his back and the contents of his pockets. The cloths on his back had been reduced to cinders and the contents in his pockets were mostly inconsequential; a little lint, an outdated ticket stub to the last martial arts flick he saw and less than twenty yen's worth of coins. Of all his worldly possessions, it was perhaps the five yen piece in hand now that was the most important, representing the only way he could return to his original age.

_Not that it'll be easy_, he noted internally, turning his eyes on the marred golden coin and the hole therein. First, it was the old fart's technique. From what he had been able to gather from the counter he had been shown, Happosai had effectively altered Hinako-sensei's ki pathways in order to absorb massive amounts of ki, something she would have never been able to do naturally and without intensive training. _Short cut the system_, Ranma snorted to himself, palming the five yen piece. It was probably why she couldn't maintain her adult form, he decided, using his fledgling knowledge of the concepts of ki, rei and chakra. The girl could suck ki all day long, but her rei was terminally stunted, creating a massive imbalance in her system. The martial artists nodded to nobody in particular. Makes for a nice temporary boost but ultimately destabilizes as it finds its own level.

But could _he_ make it work?

There were a lot of things working against him, the first and foremost being that he didn't have two hundred years of pressure point and ki manipulation under his belt. He was proficient within his abilities, but hardly possessed the skill necessary to alter his own pathways as such. _Yet_, he reaffirmed. Countering the tech had given him sufficient insight as to its inner workings. Not enough to claim any sort of master, but adequate enough to get the ball rolling. Next on the list of obstacle was the fact that the last thing he needed was ki. _Unlike_ Hinako, it was rei he was at a deficit of, which all but obligated him to radically modify the technique he was considering. Spiritual energy he knew. Physical energy was still a territory he was only now beginning to chart, but there was a chance that particular problem would solve itself through his new training. _Still, mapping those pathways is going to be a bitch_, he admitted, pondering the dilemma.

The sun finally touched the horizon and the pigtail boy sighed lightly, flipping the five yen piece into the air where it glittered before surrendering to gravity and his waiting hand. He was sure that the Happo Five-Yen Satsu was the solution to his problems, but there were many questions that would have to be answered first before he could even attempt it. _Lots of obstacles_, Ranma admitted silently.

A thin smile slid across his face. _But then again, obstacles are for killing._

Ranma flipped the coin into the sky once more and it caught the last rays of the evening sun.

"What's up?"

"Ack!" he lost concentration with the surprise and the golden yellow disk bounced out of his palm, landing on the Hokage's granite face with a light 'tink!'. Ranma's eyes widened as it bounced once, twice and began to roll… down the slopped surface. "No, no, no, no!" The martial artist scrambled after it, but he was a fraction of a second too late as the coin gained speed, rolling down the monument's forehead and disappearing off the two hundred meter drop as a shining glint. The glint faded as the dense rain forest below devoured it. Ranma turned quickly on his visitor.

"Dammit, 'Ruto!"

The blond cringed, taking a small step back and affecting a sheepish expression, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his orange jacket. "Eh! Um… Sorry?" The black haired boy continued to glare. Naruto shrunk further under his gaze. "Was it…um… important or something?"

"I..! You…!" Ranma fixed the boy with his glare for a moment longer before relenting. He sighed, letting the irritation drain away. "Nah, I guess not. Hell, a donut should do just as well."

"Huh?"

"Nuthin." Ranma shook question away, but couldn't help but to remember their last encounter. "Look, what do ya want?"

The blond remained silent for a moment, then took a step beside the sitting boy. The sun had surrendered to the tree-bound horizon and was now half spent, allowing the sky to darken. The next words came out with a softness contrary to what Ranma knew of Uzumaki's nature.

"I know how it is."

The martial artist opened his mouth to rebuke the boy, but it snapped shut almost as quickly. He glanced up to find the boy's stoic expression and nodded. "Yeah, maybe you do."

Naruto took the admission as welcome a sat down next to Ranma. "Could never figure out why everybody was always so cold to me. Everybody else had friends, so why couldn't I?"

The pigtailed boy remained silent, staring into the sinking sun. _Kinda like growing up on the road and never being able to make a friend because your father is swindling thief and martial arts obsessive_, he observed darkly. The moment of silence hung between them before Ranma finally exhaled. "Yeah, havin' a demon sealed up inside you kinda sucks."

"And turning into a girl doesn't?"

Ranma shrugged as Naruto's curious blue eyes turned on him. "Used to. Not so much anymore, though. But like you said, real friends are tough to come by when you're pictured as a sex changing perverted freak."

The blond stared for another moment before indulging in his curiosity. "Are you? ...I mean a girl. When you're like that."

"Yeah." Ranma admitted, tapping the side of his head with an index finger. "Took me a bit to realize that it just doesn't change the body. Screws with the wiring up here as well."

"Like?"

"I think slightly different as a girl." He explained to the boy soberly. "See things different. Feel different. That, and I'm a fiend for sweets." Ranma managed a smile with the last admission, prompting Naruto to snort with amusement before having the questions turned back on him. "How's it feel to have a fox sealed inside you anyway?"

Naruto leaned back with the question, staring into the dusk sky. The stars were only just twinkling, marred only by the occasional shadow of a cloud. "Weird. It doesn't feel like something that could have destroyed Konoha. It just bubbles, like an itch."

Ranma cocked his head, considering the boy carefully. He hadn't told the kid about his seal and he wasn't feeling a damn thing from it, be it itching, burning or nausea. _Wonder what's up with his…_

"You don't think I'm a demon do you?"

The question came out of left field, causing Ranma to focus his attention sharply on the boy. It wasn't just a question or opinion poll, he immediately realized. Naruto's blue eyes were practically pleading with him, hoping beyond hope for the right answer. It was an answer Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial didn't even have to think about, though he did contemplate the serious ass-kicking of the people who precipitated the kid's present emotional state.

"Nah. You ain't no demon."

"But... it's inside and--"

"Look, 'Ruto. I've dealt with demons. Real demons." Ranma cut the boy off softly, but with force. "Ya ain't one regardless of what you got inside you."

The fact that his thirteen year old cohort had actually dealt with demonic entities barely registered against the boy's raw psyche. Every name he had been called and injury he had perceived was being laid bare before the pigtailed boy in a molten core of depression, panic and self doubt. "And if it gets out… It nearly destroyed Konoha! Iruka's father! It'll take me and—"

"'RUTO!"

Ranma's tone slapped Naruto out of his desperate self-loathing and panic. The sight in front of him ensured his attention stayed riveted to the speaker. Ranma was now glowing with power, bathing the boy and the top of the monument in soft blue light as raw ki flowed off her body like a lighthouse flame. He stood transfixed and she shook her head. "I ain't no pervert and you ain't no demon."

"But…"

The objection had lost its panicky edge and the glowing redhead firmly cut him off once more. "And if it comes down to that, I give you my word as martial artist, _we'll_ deal with it."

Naruto blinked, stunned. All traces of panic evaporated with that proclamation. "You… you would do that? For _me??_"

The blue light dimmed and Ranma smiled. "You said I was your friend." Naruto nodded, eyes wide with realization. "That's what friends do, right?"

Emotions began to flicker across the blond's face, flowing from sheer awe and hope renewed to elation, finally ending in a huge, confident grin. "Damn right!"

Ranma dropped the light show entirely as his friend's emotional state solidified, and the first Hokage of Konoha was once again wrapped in the lengthening shadows of the evening twilight. The redhead looked around her pensively. "We better go. I probably overdid it with the aura."

"Just how the heck did you do that anyway?" Naruto piped, stepping up to the shorter girl's side with his old bounce present and accounted for.

The pair found the tourist walkway down the Hokage's spiked hairline and Ranma shook her head. "Not sure about the chakra part, but maybe I can point you in the right direction."

"Awesome!" The boy exuded, then quieted as they stepped down through the shadows. "Oh, uh, sorry about your lucky coin."

"Nah, don't worry about it." Ranma brushed the worry off. "I'll get another one."

"What was it for, anyway?"

Ranma chuckled to herself. "Just somethin' to help me find somethin' else I lost."

Naruto nodded as if the former made sense, but remained silent, wondering exactly what his friend had lost. Lacking a clear avenue of conversation, the spiky blond opted to change the subject entirely. "You hungry?"

Ranma smiled. "Always."

* * *

**Author's notes; **  
Otherwise known as Ozz's miscellaneous ramblings this time around. 

Disappearing Body Technique; _Used by Ranma in Book 35 vs Konatsu, apparently functioning as a pseudo replacement technique by sacrificing an article of clothing. I script Ranma as using this to evade Sasuke's opening salvo of shurikens._

HSH lite; _More than a couple frames of the Ranma ½ story seem to abbreviate the Hiyru Shoten Ha set up sequence, all but skipping the spiral required in favor of just the whirlwind effect itself. One example of this is Book 31, p34 vs Happosai and Lucky. Using these sequences as a basis, I didn't think it would be too far fetched to devise a realistically abbreviated version for low power burst effects like the one I script Ranma using on Sasuke. _

Cat Hairs vs Shadow Clones II; _As stated in the previous chapter's ANs, I cast SCH as an illusionary technique. For more depth, I consider it tied to the user, duplicating their movements exactly within a predefined pattern, which is consistent with what is shown in the anime. Shadow Clones, however, are not simply illusions. Not only are they more durable, but they can move independently of the caster. Furthermore, they can act independently of the caster, mirroring the personality and intelligence of the cloned person to a limited degree. Conversely, modified SCH illusions such as Ranma's can only be 'programmed', forcing the caster to divide his attention among the various illusions. Shadow Cloning, on average, require no such multitasking or attention, thus making it the superior technique._

Thirteen or Bust; _this has definitely been one of the more interesting discussions we've had, mainly concerning Ranma's overall physique at thirteen years old in both forms. Conjecture has been all across the board on this topic, with opinion varying wildly on just what Ranma would look like. Thankfully, I had the peeps at both Fukufics and Anifics to draw knowledge from. Among the primary considerations were genetics, physical exertion vs. puberty, Ranma's alleged state of hunger in China, core artwork and canon character development. For the record I am basing the estimated heights of his male and female aspects at 5'2" and 4'11" respectively._

_Ranma's male aspect is admittedly easier to trace as we are given windows into his physical development all throughout the series, albeit brief snapshots in most cases. For example, we see him as a small child with Ukyo, his father and later on vs. Ryoga at what I presume to be age 15, plus or minus. Later, his physique continues to develop throughout the series up to book 38 and the OVAs. Extrapolating backwards, I can assume Ranma was probably a health young boy of average height._

_His female aspect, on the other hand leaves quite a bit of detail in the dark as it doesn't have a natural pre-series progression to draw upon. In fact, the only clue we really have is when she was de-aged with mushrooms the first time, noting that she is shorter than Ryoga there too. Along the way we began to consider genetics. Both Ranma's mother and father are taller than the average Japanese citizen, while Ranma herself is the spitting image of Nodoka. This would seem to indicate that there is a high likelihood that she will encounter a growth spurt somewhere after book 38, if she wasn't already in the middle since an increase in breast size was clearly noted in the plot. It would be reasonable to assume that Ranma will more than likely obtain her mother's stature if the series were to continue. _

_This doesn't help us with de-aging her, however. The only physical piece of evidence we have in canon indicates Ranma is a naturally small girl in terms of height. By 15-16 when the curse is manifest for the first time, her chest appears to be coming along nicely already, which seems to argue against both long term malnutrition during the 10 year training mission and any delayed puberty theory that adversely affects athletes. The latter could explain her reduced height, but directly contradicts her breast development. _

_In terms of logic and canon, this was the best I could do. I define Ranma at 13 as shorter than her contemporaries in Naruto, but with a healthy figure somewhere close to hinata in terms of curves. Regardless of how much DCG tries to convince me otherwise, I just don't see Ranma as being that developed at the same age, though it is obvious she has a her own growth spurt. By the OVA, ranma-chan is rather, ahem, spectacular._

Special Thanks to:**MageOhki, DT**_ and _**THE ONE THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED BUT KNOWTH WHOM HE IS**_ for plot chucking. Mucho gracias to _**Metroidvania**_ for editing services rendered. This fic would have been a lesser thing without them riding shotgun.  
_

Amy's word of the day: "Octopusfluff"


	5. Chapter 5

Forward: _Somewhere along the way in ch4 I screwed up by using the term "wa" in reference to the physical side of Chakra. This was a mistake. The correct term I meant to use in keeping with the ch2 notes was "Rei"; ala __**Rei**__ki__. Not sure what happened, but rei is the term I'll be using from this point on, not wa. I'll probably got back and edit 4 at some point as well. That said, thanks for sticking with this work. you all rock_ :D

* * *

**Tales of the Foxcat**  
By _Ozzallos_

_-Role credits to: Bon Jovi I Want to be Loved-_

**Part V**

"**M**y report on the Saotome boy, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi looked up from his table and the scroll he had been painting to find Kurenai proffering him a notebook. Aged hands took the offering and thumbed open the non descript cover, noting the red eyed woman's carefully crafted neutral mask with curiosity. Like many of the village' other gifted ninjas, Yuhi Kurenai had literally grown up under his tutelage and he knew her mannerisms as if she were his very own daughter. While serene neutrality was the norm for her, the uncertain sparkle dancing in her eyes was not, prompting him to all but ignore the book in favor of her own first hand account. "So what do you think of his… her potential?"

Kurenai held her silence for a moment before collecting her thoughts with a deep breath. "Ranma's potential is…" she paused, shaking her head. "Ranma destroyed practice range six, Hokage-sama."

"That sounds promising."

The kunoichi shook her head again. "You don't understand. He _destroyed _the practice range. Literally. We had to take it out of commission the damage was so extensive."

The Hokage considered the woman's words, dissecting them carefully as they bordered on the edge of disbelief. Kurenai certainly wasn't one prone to exaggeration and Ranma was undoubtedly skilled, but to take an entire practice range- a place designed to take abuse by definition –out of commission indicated a level of ability magnitudes higher than even he suspected. He motioned to the chair opposite his position. "While I'm sure your notes are detailed, I would prefer a first hand account."

The kunoichi pulled the chair out from the table and sat, folding her hands while maintaining that carefully crafted neutrality. "Of course, though I'm not sure where to begin."

"Just how extensive is the damage to the practice range?" Sarutobi forwarded, watching Kurenai's neutrality fade into a frown.

"Three quarters of the range will require resurfacing. Every practice target will need to be decommissioned and replaced…" The kunoichi paused, her frown deepening. "At least, what's left of them. Most of the blast walls took heavy damage. Heat damage, wind damage, ice damage, impact damage, weapons damage as well as some damage I can't even classify at the moment." The Hokage's pipe dropped from it's inclination as the woman continued her abbreviated report. "In fact, the level of damage he caused is on level with an ANBU member twice his age. He may not know a thing about chakra, but what he can do with that ki of his is lethal enough not to matter."

"Lethal?" The Third raised an eyebrow skeptically. "It was my understanding that the child is adverse to using lethal force."

"That's not something I can really comment on." Kurenai shook her head. "What I _can _comment on is that regardless of his good natured disposition, his techniques are by and large devastating in nature and he is _very_ proficient in their use. "

The Third took a puff of his pipe and considered the smoldering cloud he had exhaled for a second, then returned his attention to the ninja before him. "Perhaps it's best we start at the beginning then. How did you manage to incite him to destroy a practice range?"

The slightest edge of smile materialized upon the black haired woman's face, accompanied by an equally slight chuckle. "Simple. I told him to do his worst."

* * *

"Though I really don't see why I have to go showin' off again." The thirteen year old pigtailed boy commented as he was escorted by a black haired woman clad in a red and white obi that complimented her crimson eyes. "I mean, wasn't that bit with Cyclops good enough?" 

Kurenai Yuhi smiled slightly with the cyclops comment, but shook her head. "If you are to be a functioning member of this village, the Hokage needs to know the length and breadth of your abilities. While it's quite obvious you're skilled, we need to know exactly how skilled. Unless you plan on spending your time in Konoha as a farmer?"

"Heh, you're screwed if it comes down to that." Ranma chuckled as the pair made their away down a winding path, passing a sign labeled 'practice range six'. "Plants hate me."

"Lacking a green thumb, young one?"

"You could say that." The pigtailed boy shook his head, not feeling the need to detail the various carnivorous plants that had at one time or another tried to subject him to bodily harm. "Guess I should count myself lucky I happened to wind up in a place that needs something I'm good at."

The odd comment caused the accompanying kunoichi a slight mental pause, and she looked down at the child walking next to her. "Which would seem to imply the place you come from… doesn't?"

"Not really, the weirdness of my life aside." Ranma returned matter-of-factly. "Most people go to work, school or whatever without worrying about ninja popping out of the shadows."

"But then how did your land secure its boarders without a contingent of ninja?" Kurenai's emotionless mask had dropped completely as she boggled at such an foreign concept. A land without the protection of its ninjas was… insane.

"They got armies and crap." Ranma explained absently, clearly communicating the topic was of little interest to him through his tone. "Tanks, planes and guns, but no ninjas." Tanks? Planes? Guns? The woman rolled the strange words silently on her tongue, trying to find meaning in them but failing. The boy laughed. "Hell, if Furinkan had a class on how to be a ninja, my old man probably wouldn't have had to cart me off on a ten year training mission."

Kurenai stared. It would be so easy to dismiss his experience given the body he was currently inhabiting. The idea of a small child undergoing serious training was ridiculous and prompted her next question. "How old were you when you started?"

"Three, I think. Old man was throwing me out of trees and into pits by five." The boy remarked, causing the woman to nearly stumble. The age was far younger than when konoha started training its children. Sure, they were always being steered in that direction, but serious combat training for most of the prospective candidates didn't come until years later.

The pair stepped out off the forest path and out into an open field that represented practice range six. Straw targets depicting humanoid forms sprouted like flowers from the green field while more durable wooden ones were interspersed between them. Ranma noted a dozen or so odd shaped mounds beyond. Dummies would probably pop up from those, the boy reasoned, and smiled. No doubt a few of them even fired back.

"I've already set the range up." The red eyed kunoichii explained, motioning out toward the field. "This exercise is accurately gauge your genjitutsu and taijitsu, so take the targets out any way you see fit."

"_Any_ way?" Ranma asked with an arched eyebrow. Kurenai simply nodded.

"Preferably in a way that displays your fullest abilities in both forms." The woman smiled kindly down at the child. "Simply put, do your worst."

A smile crept across the boy's face, one whose feral edge caused uncertainty to bubble up within the kunoichi. Ranma stepped off their wooden platform and onto the practice range grass, tossing a cocky look back at her. "Just remember, you asked for it."

Kurenai Yuhi was prepared to expect a great many things from the boy before her. Every report she had seen thus far indicated above average taijitsu abilities and at least a rudimentary grasp of ninjutsu. His professed intimacy in unarmed combat was furthered by the fact that he had declined to carry any sort of weapon out on the field, a fact that only served to heighten her expectations…

"_Kijin Raishū Dan!"_

…Expectations that did_ not _include intangible blades of high pressure air blasting forth from the boy, immediately reducing a group of straw and wooden targets to matchsticks. Even as her jaw dropped, Ranma was gone behind the distorted wave of destruction in a blur, quickly unleashing his own devastation upon whatever targets were still standing. One snapped after another and soon the boy was deep into the field, annihilating anything that stood above waist high. Three more dummies fell, finally producing enough vibrations to trip the automatic pop up targets. Four targets sprang up from their mounds, each with five holes running up their torso. The kunoichi knew what was coming next. Twenty ink tipped wooden kunai were ejected at high speed from their launchers in an effort to take Ranma out through surprise and saturation. She already knew it wasn't going to be nearly enough.

The pigtailed boy snapped the neck of another target and effortlessly weaved through the inbound kunai, twisting and sliding across the turf as if it were ice, before sighting the offending mounds with his hand.

"_Moko Takabisha!" _

Kurenai stumbled back as that portion of the field was bathed in a brilliant blue light, then smoldering ruin as Ranma's ball of energy detonated atop the popup targets_. This… This BOY! The techniques! _It was all she could do to remain upright as Ranma continued the systematic destruction of the practice field. He wasn't using chakra. He wasn't forming seals. What he _was_ doing was dispensing wholesale destruction on a scale that put him in class far outside his age bracket. _And at such range!_ Her brain all but screamed as the explosion tripped more of the pop ups. This time a group of ten shot skyward and disgorged their ordinance into open air. The black haired boy slowed only long enough to produce what looked like a canteen from God only knew where and empty the contents over his head. From that point on, all the ninja saw was a red blur weaving in and out of a maelstrom of no less than fifty kunai. Her thought process finally caught up to the fact that she was seeing his female aspect in action for the first time and it was a show that did not disappoint. Sure, she had seen such ability before, but the techniques were exotic and the child so _young_…

Ranma cleared the staggered crossfire and advanced into popup ranks, suddenly wavering, then disappearing completely from sight. The nin simply stared. She was _gone_. Literally. Masked entirely from—A fiery mane of red hair wavered back into existence just long enough to take one of the dummies out from behind in a blurring strike before returning to her cloak of invisibility. The target crumpled seconds later. Two more fell to the ground in the same manner before the girl settled for dropping the cloak entirely.

"_HIRYU HYOU-TOPPA!"_

The kunoichi could no longer emit shock as a horizontal tornado cleared out the remaining seven popup targets. They simply ceased to exist, as did the blastwall directly behind them. no, Kurenai was well beyond the ability to be surprised at this point. She could only watch as what amounted to a thirteen year old girl dismantled the village practice range piece by piece.

* * *

"A…tornado?" The Hokage blinked, his smoking pipe sitting all but forgotten on the edge of his desk. 

"He… _she_," Kurenai stressed the gender, "Is a wind elementalist without a doubt. The blades she produced were dense wave fronts of pressure and the tornado punched clear through the concrete barrier behind her primary targets."

"And this ball of chakra?"

The woman shook her head. "Definitely not chakra. She insists on labeling it ki. Either way, her ability to inflict ranged damage with the ninjutsu available to her… him is astounding. We have analogs here and there, but the arsenal she can bring to bear is simply unparalleled by any one nin in the entire village."

"With taijutsu to match." Sarutobi scratched the white tuft of hair on his chin. It was less a question than a statement, but the red eyed kunoichi addressed the point regardless.

"With taijutsu to match." Kurenai confirmed. "She says she doesn't hit as hard as a girl, but it matters little from what I've seen. Her technique is the envy of any jonin, so much so that I suspect Gai will more than likely sell his soul to take her on as a student."

"Which she's not."

Kurenai produced the barest of nods in deference to her aura of neutrality. "I would under no circumstances group him as a fellow student with any of this year's current teams. If it weren't for mitigating circumstances, she… he would be out in the field."

_Or being groomed for the ANBU,_ The Hokage added silently, his hand finally returning to the long neglected pipe. The Elder toook a long drag and exhaled, letting a lazy cloud of smoke to waft through the air. The nin before him paid it no mind. What and who exactly had been dropped in their laps? A taijutsu and ninjutsu genius in every sense of the word harboring several curses, spirit possession and a positive knack for turning everything they knew about chakra on its ear. The Hokage closed his eyes as the kunoichi waited patiently. She was right. They couldn't put him in a class. If Ranma was everything her report was indicating, he would eclipse any student's skill by magnitudes, regardless of how little he knew about chakra.

"What to do…"

Kurenai Yuhi took her cue and leaned forward, breaking her carefully crafted character for the first time. It was a very un Kurenai-like expression the woman rarely exhibited… eagerness?

"I think I may have an answer to that."

* * *

_Enough of this_, the kunoichi's cheek began to twitch again as 20 foot trench was forcibly carved into the earth by the girl's last attack. There was no doubt that she could hold her own in terms of ninjutsu and taijutsu. Kurenai couldn't quite chuckle at how understated that last thought was. 'Hold her own,' didn't even begin to cover what she was witnessing. Regardless, it was time to see how Ranma handled something other than a frontal assault. 

The woman's fingers came together and began to twist through several patterns. Red eyes glowed briefly and a whisper drifted from her lips. _"Resu Genkaku: Kurushimi."_

* * *

Ranma Saotome grinned as another couple of targets were incinerated by a high intensity blast of ki, then slowed a bit to wipe the sweat from her brow. _Red Eyes had better be appreciating the show, she thought…_.and oriented on her next target… what few remained standing. She'd been putting her all into this dog and pony show and was starting to feel it. Time to wrap this— 

"Shit!" The pigtailed girl twisted around at a nearly impossible angle, avoiding a salvo of glinting silver spikes. "What the hell!?"

Ranma flipped out of the crossfire with considerable dismay. _Those were actual blades!_ she realized and sighted down their original vectors to find a trio of popup dummies. The redhead frowned. _I was pretty sure I had accounted for—_

Her eyes widened once again as warning screamed through her brain and she was off again in a wild evasion even as a new salvo opened up into her back. The aerial leap avoided most of the kunai that bore in from the girl's blind spot, but not everything. Ranma winced as she hit the ground with two new cuts for her trouble; one on her left calve and the other across the left shoulder. They were shallow and far from life threatening, but the

fact that she had missed another position of pop-ups was by far the more worrisome. _I mean, it's possible that they're just buried that deep…_

Any introspection she was engaged in was immediately cut short as five more pop-up targets sprang up directly before her, twenty meters down range. The Saotome snarled and sighted her arm on them.

"Not this time."

The targets fired predictably, but Ranma had already had all the time in the world to line up her shot. Her Moko Takabisha would vaporize the inbound blades and take out the launchers all in one…

The faintest whistling of wind.

Not from the kunai.

A distraction.

"Son of a bitch!" The split second it took to process the information nearly cost the pigtailed martial artist her life as she threw herself right in a wild roll while silver steel streaked by and around her body, cleaving the dirt as she worked her split second reaction into a dancing evasion. With more warning she could have easily evaded the salvo of thirty intent perforating her body from behind. As it was she avoid nearly all of them, but took another three glancing blows in the process. these were much deep cuts and blood began to seep from the wounds as Ranma flipped through the last of dance. The girl landed in a low crouch now completely on alert. A look back to the observation stand found it empty. _Me and that woman are gonna have a little talk once I get through—_

A glint of silver out of the corner of her eye and Ranma was on the move again.

* * *

Kurenai Yuhi frowned as she watched the girl twist and leap through the air in an attempt to defeat an enemy that didn't exist. After such a display of Taijitsu and Jujistusu, the fact that she was still trapped in one of her lower level illusions was disappointing. At this rate, the girl would soon be mentally and physically exhausted, undoubtedly believing that she was suffering from multiple injuries. _I could dispatch her with ease_, the kunoichi shook her head with dismay. It was a fact that did not bode well for the girl's future_. If she's this susceptible to low level __genjutsu__—_

"You can turn it off now."

Red eyes widened, and the woman spun around to find the redhead perched on the wall behind her. Blue eyes bored into her, sparkling with annoyance, also reflected by the frown on her face. Sweat was pouring off the girl's forehead and her clothes were soaked. Kurenai took a quick glance back to the field and found the other Ranma still dancing to an unseen foe. A copy. "You defeated my genjutsu."

"If that's what you're callin' that, yeah." Ranma nodded, hoping off the wall. Everything about her stance screamed high alert. "Took me a bit and hurt like hell. Wasn't very nice of ya."

"I apologize, but it was a necessary part of the test." Kurenai bowed slightly. "Illusionary techniques are common place her and in the world. A ninja may have all the skills and techniques available, but if he or she can be fooled into simply laying down to die, they are worthless."

Ranma's stance relaxed slightly and she took the opportunity wipe her brow. "Fair enough, but did ya have to make it so painful?"

The kunoichi smiled slightly as the girl plopped down onto a bench. Clearly the exercise had pressed her to her limits. "My higher level genjutsus can _kill_ the unaware. I would not have subjected you to the Kurushimi without good cause."

"Kill?" Any fatigue that Ranma may have been experiencing was quickly pushed aside with the revelation.

"Yes." The woman confirmed, taking a seat beside the girl. "Either by fooling the mind that it has taken extreme damage or by drawing the opponent into an exhausted state through illusion."

Ranma frowned. "The mind sees what it expects to see."

"And feel." Kurenai confirmed. "Genjutsu merely creates the conditions. The victims mind does the rest." She paused, considering the sweat soaked girl who was clearly chewing on the new information. "And how did you escape my technique?"

"Uncertainty." Ranma replied, rubbing at one of the deeper illusionary cuts she had incurred. It _still_ felt like it stung. "Your technique works as long as the victim is uncertain of the situation he's in. It was okay at first. I _could_ have missed a few launchers. Not seen some of the kunai. But I'm the best." Ranma flashed a roguish grin, causing the woman beside her to chuckle ever so slightly. "I don't miss _that_ much detail."

"And from there, you substituted a clone and removed yourself from the situation." The nin confirmed. "My focus left the real you, freeing you from the illusion. Very good."

The roguish grin grew. "The best."

"But more than enough time to dispatch you if one were determined enough." The grin evaporated as quickly as it surfaced. "And mark my words, young one, the world is full of determined killers."

"So you people keep tellin' me." Ranma groused. Regardless the point was crystal clear and the woman was absolutely right. She has spent way too much time dodging ghost daggers and shooting nonexistent popup targets. Against somebody serious like Herb, Saffron or even Ryoga… "So you gonna teach me how to counter it?"

"In time." Kurenai returned. "But first, what style of taijutsu you practice?"

"Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu. Family art." Ranma detailed lazily as the fatigue began to wear on her. The targets had only required low powered versions of her attacks, but that last part with had pushed to her limits. _Duh_, she snorted with the thought. _It was my own mind pushing me that hard._

"With an intensive focus on aerial combinations." The woman observed while handing Ranma a full canteen of water. The young martial artist sucked down the cool liquid greedily before continuing.

"Yeah, combines over twenty styles into a single art." The redhead continued, wiping her mouth dry with the sleeve of her red tunic. "Idea is to create a single, supremely flexible combat style."

"I see." The ninja nodded thoughtfully. "So your family art is actually an amalgam of every other art you happen across. And likewise with the techniques?"

Something about her comment bothered Ranma, something she filed away for when she was a bit less mentally and physically exhausted. For now… "Yeah, them too. Mainly some high level Amazon stuff and my old man's techniques. Most of the other stuff is situational."

Kurenai cocked her head curiously. "Other stuff?"

"Well yeah." Ranma shrugged while attempting to coax the last droplets of water out of the canteen. The girl set the container aside and began to tick off fingers. "There's Anything goes cloth fighting, anything goes noodle ryu, anything goes combat dining, anything goes chopstick fu, anything goes tailoring, anything goes…"

Ranma Saotome failed to notice Kurenai Yuhi red eyes begin to glaze over as she continued down the list of all the weird and obscure fighting styles she had been forced to learn since the day she could walk.

* * *

"Martial arts… take out?" 

Kurenai nodded, watching her graying leader lapse into rapid blinking. "Apparently consisting of free for all combat in which opponents must transverse and obstacle course with a box of food. Anybody's food that is not intact upon crossing the finish line loses. Needless to say, mutual combat increases ones odds of finishing without competition."

"Naturally." The Hokage deadpanned, fixing his gaze upon his own distorted image from within the crystal ball before him. "The child is a genius in taijutsu, strong in his own ninjutsu but barely holding his own in genjutsu. Obviously we can't field him… or _her_ without the latter. His level of skill would alienate the other teams if we would attach him to this year's graduates…" The Third sighed and turned his eyes back up to Kurenai. "Which leaves your suggestion."

"One way or another, it will strengthen the village by several magnitudes." the red eyed ninja stated. "The number of suitable kunoichi is the lowest I've since I've taken on mentoring graduates; only _four_ this year."

The Hokage held her with a critical eye. Unfortunately, he knew exactly what the woman meant. Thirteen years ago, they could afford the specialized instruction. Thirteen years ago, Konoha's population was _triple_ that of today. Thirteen years ago…

"And you're saying Ranma could…?"

Kurenai nodded maintaining her calm in spite of being on the precipice of success. "One way or the other and given his training, I'm certain of it. At very least, it would give him an anchor of stability. Looking at it from a purely humanistic point of view, it's something he desperately needs."

"I concur." The village elder inverted his pipe, tapping the ashes into a small tray decorated with swirls. If anything that was the decisive factor in his judgment. He had seen the boy's very psyche. It was scarred. Heavily so. But it was also obvious that Ranma was a good soul. More so, life had honed the child's honor to a knife edge. Once given, the boy would never, _ever_ go back on his word. Sarutobi shook his head, staring at the ashes as they dimmed and expired. Still… He took another deep breath and returned his attention fully back onto the kunoichi across from him.

"Alright then. I want a roster on my desk tomorrow morning. Weekly status reports on not only the team's progress, but his individual progress as well." The Hokage waited for Kurenai's nod before continuing. "You are to personally oversee his development in genjutsu. It's his weakest area besides chakra in general, but Iruka is already addressing that. From there he can pick up ninjutsu as he goes."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

"If it looks like either he…she or the team can't handle it, I expect you to pull the plug." The elder tapped the table with a bony, wrinkled finger for emphasis. "No point in making a bad decision worse."

He watched as the woman stood up, producing a sharp nod. Her face was painfully neutral, but her eyes, her eyes were positively _sparkling_. "As you say, Hokage-sama. If there is nothing further, I have preparations to make."

Sarutobi nodded his assent and the pale woman was gone from his office. He shook his head. This could very well be the worst idea he had ever agreed too since apprenticing Orochimaru. His eyes found the distorted reflection within the crystal ball in front him and prayed to Kami the opposite was true.

* * *

Blue eyes watched as light began to cascade over the giant monument that dwarfed the small village known as Konoha, refracting through atmosphere and clouds to create fiery streamers of yellow and orange; a prelude to the day that was about to begin anew. Ranma Saotome stood atop the highest point of the dorm he had been assigned, taking it all in from his rooftop vantage point. The cool morning breeze was his only companion at the moment as the village below lay dormant, its occupants still slumbering for the most part. He could pick out the occasional cart setting up on the twisting streets below, but those enterprising few were the exception. The streets were empty and silent, save the occasional twitter of birds welcoming in the new day. 

This was his time.

It wasn't just a training regiment drilled into him since the day he could walk that brought him to the dorm's rooftop, though that certainly helped. No, this was traditionally the only time during his day where he would have time to think, as opposed to reacting to one crisis after another through the course of the day. Fiancée crises. Rival crises. Kidnapper crises, though the latter could easily fall under the fiancée crisis header. Today would likely be free of those particular thorns in his side, if only because he was a full reality removed from them. At least he thought he was. God only knew exactly how the pig boy got him here, but one thing was for certain: 'Here' wasn't on any map he had ever seen.

In a way, it wasn't so bad, if only because his life had been one non-stop training mission after another, moving him from one location to the next. Three years growing up with mom, another five on the road, a small break for schooling, off to China, then back to Japan. All things considered, two years Nerima was barely a blip on the radar, save the general weirdness that conspired against him there. Waking up in a strange village in a strange land full of ninja? No sweat. That's life. Well, _his_ life at least.

Idly, the martial artist wondered if Akane would have still been kidnapped so many times if he hadn't shown up. The count was what? Three? Four, now?

Ranma shrugged at the idle missive and check the straps on his wrist that bound the weights to him. Normally his time worn bracers would be in their place, but for the fact that they were now too large for his thirteen year old wrists. Maybe he would be able to don them in a year or so, but right now his mushroom stunted body had yet to hit its growth spurt and the things would all but slide off his wrists. In any case, the new body needed conditioning and practice. So did the other body, for that matter. Using ki to supplement his innate strength was fine, assuming he was in good physical condition to begin with, and the thought made him frown. Fact was, he was barely making par, let alone ready to go into serious combat. Even full power ki techniques would wipe him out. He had the reservoirs, but the body just couldn't handle anything even close to full capacity.

Yet.

The pigtailed boy took a step and began his dance across the roof's spine. No, being trapped in Konoha wasn't so bad. Certainly no worse than hiking the wilds of China for the better part of a year. Better even. No fiancées, no rivals, and you couldn't walk anywhere in the village without tripping over a new martial arts technique. It was like his visit to the Amazon's village, but without the "Die, Ranma!" component mixed in.

Well, that was another 'yet".

_Only a matter of time_, the more cynical portion of his psyche mused and he sped up the pace of his kata. Another reason to get his body in shape. It was only a matter of time before the crazies began popping out of the woodwork and when that happened, he'd best be prepared for them.

_Chakra!_

Ranma's brain latched onto the concept greedily. The concept of not just using spiritual energy to fuel techniques but physical life energy as well! That idea alone would make this side trip to Konoha worth whatever fall out he'd receive upon getting back to the real world. The boy stepped it up a notch, incorporating airborne combinations into his kata while rays of sun began to clear the Hokage monument in earnest. By the time he got back to Nerima the ghoul would be begging him to learn the new stuff, and ole pervert?

_Grandmaster__, my ass._

It was something that had always irked him about the old master, something aggravated by the red-eyed sensei's words yesterday. Exactly what was Happosai a master of anyway? What was his art really? Stealing techniques? Did the old fool really have anything that truly his own? Pressure point maps… Secret techniques… Magic trinkets… Potion receipts… Ranma snorted with contempt as he clawed through the air, hands and feet thrashing out to meet an unseen foe. To his knowledge, none of it was his. The memory of Kurenai's words flashed back at him…

"_So your family art is actually an amalgam of every other art you happen across. And the likewise the techniques?_"

Ranma Saotome slit to a halt on the narrowest edge of the rooftop, considering the statement with dismay. That was the school he was to inherit. Could he really consider an art made up of everybody else's art his own? One whose very core often dishonestly hijacked other arts to bolster its own technique by way of the perverted grand master? Not that her own father wasn't just as bad, but at least went on to create two wholly unique arts of his own: The Umi Sen Ken and Yama Sen Ken. Still…

Ranma Saotome considered the village below once more, as if its narrow, winding streets held the answer he was looking for. His only reply to the dilemma that was his inheritance was the low whistle of a bird.

_Right._

The martial artist shook his head and reached into a fold of ki, pulling out a canteen. besides the pocket change now residing on the small desk of his room, it was the only thing that had made the trip from Japan to Konoha, if only because habit had seen to it that a source of water was on his person at all times. There was no need to flash the container with cold ki as the water contained therein was already well below room temperature. The cap was unscrewed and a moment later, a damp redhead stood in place of the pigtailed boy, frowning. The girl flexed her left arm, staring at the wrist weights she had strapped onto it. Heavy as _hell_. As a boy, the weights were heavy, but not unexpectedly so. As a girl, they were a definite presence, which led her to yet more questions about the seal and its interaction with her curse.

Ranma threw an experimental punch and stepped into a new kata slowly. Sluggish. On a normal day her male and female aspects shared some form of parity. Her female form was slightly faster and nimble, but not overly so. Likewise, her male form was stronger and more durable, but there were few instances where the difference would make or break a fight. Now the difference was noticeable. Very noticeable. The martial artists pushed forward with the kata, speeding it up. She was definitely faster in this form now. Her practice runs on the range and against the Sas kid had highlight that particular difference, but now… Now she knew for a fact that it didn't hit as hard. The effort it took to throw the weights around told her that.

_Probably not as durable, either_, she surmised, taking the energy from a high kick and transforming into an aerial ballet. Even as she twisted around, landed and launched into another set, her brain was already analyzing the tactical dilemma the change would introduce.

_Girl type for weapon users like Mousse and __Kuno__…Easy to dodge and a serious blow would probably put me down anyway, regardless of the body… Guy type for the hand to hand. Need to be able to take the punishment if they're good enough not to need weapons._ Sunlight continued to pour out around her and the village as she broke down potential encounters and specific responses to them before slowing, finally halting along the very edge of the roof. _Gonna be a pain in the ass keepin' water handy, though…_

That thought opened the other can of worms that had somehow visited itself upon her person. The curse was acting up… Shifting her as if it had a mind of its own. Ranma flexed her arm as it burned from the strain she ad put it through. The water still worked, but something new had been added with the seal. _Magic screwing with magic_, the red head frowned. It was shifting on its own and had done something to both bodies, further highlighting the difference between boy and girl. It was something he had thought about every once in a while when she first acquired the curse, but had never held any real significance until now. Which version of the curse was more natural? The one with only the vaguest separation in physical abilities or the new, more obvious—

"Who the hell is tap dancing up on the roof so damn—" The girl's head swiveled around at the outburst to find a scraggly crop of spiky blonde hair staring at her with wide blue eyes. _"Ranma?!"_

The redhead considered the boy curiously before simply shrugging. "Yeah, what's up 'Ruto?"

The question went unanswered for the next minute as Naruto simply stared at the girl before shaking his surprise off. "Uh, hey… What are you doing, um, on the roof…? It's early, you know?"

"Heh. Always up this early." Ranma admitted, forcing down the unsettling feeling his scrutiny was creating. She flicked her trespassing pigtail back over her shoulder. "Gotta practice, ya know?"

"Right above my room?"

"Eh, heh heh heh…" She chuckled self consciously, then frowned at the reaction. "Rooftop was the place to get away from it all back home."

The blond seemed to weight the answer with uncharacteristic scrutiny before hopping fully onto the roof itself with the girl. "Then I'll join you!"

Ranma blinked, then shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

The streets of Konoha were now bustling with activity, Ranma noted as he accompanied his blond counterpart **as** he sought to meet up with the rest of his team. That particular aspect of their trip was of little concern to Ranma, as he neither thought the Pink was as cute as Naruto professed she was or had the desire to associate with his brooding arch nemesis. Ranma chuckled at the thought as they cut through an alley. The fact that his friend even considered the Sas-kid a rival was amusing. 

_Gotta start somewhere, I guess_, Ranma snorted mentally. Regardless, the martial arts heir did have a perfectly valid reason for accompanying Naruto, and that was breakfast, even if it was with Sas and Pink. The pigtailed boy's stomach grumbled as if to underscore the fact. The morning workout had done a good job in burning calories and his body was letting him know it was time to consume more, preferably in mass quantities.

…And that was when he spied a vendor opening up for the day, three blocks down. The aroma of crab cakes and octopus balls waft across his nostrils, sealing the old man's fate in that very instant.

"Hold up, 'Ruto." Ranma snagged the boy's orange jacket, pulling him back into the ally from which they had just stepped out of. Naruto blinked curiously as his friend reached into a pocket on his tangs and pulled out… _a canteen_?

Naruto Uzumaki gawked. No seals, no scrolls, no nothing. "How'd you do that?!"

"Ki folding." Ranma commented absently, uncapping the container and splashing himself with it. The canteen disappeared as quickly as it was obtained, leaving Naruto to stare in wonder. The fact that he was now a she was a minor footnote against the technique he had just witnessed. "Okay, do that Minako jutsu for me."

"Minako…?"

"You, know, that blonde girl you can conjure?" The pigtailed boy clarified. "We're gonna have a little fun."

"Oh, yeah! Sure!" Naruto nodded excitedly, if only for the fact that somebody actually wanted to see the technique instead of yell at him for it. His face lapsed into a mask of concentration and cloud of smoke exploded around him violently "Sexy-no-jutsu!"

The smoke cleared and Ranma's cheek began twitching as she silently thanked God they were still in the ally. "With clothes, dummy."

Naruto Uzumaki blinked, then nodded. The slightly smaller puff of smoke that followed endowed the female Naruto with an outfit similar to his normal wear, but with a slightly tighter fit. Ranma gave the blonde haired, blue eyed girl clad in orange a scrutinizing eye before passing judgment. "Good enough. Follow my lead."

The slightly taller blonde followed her redheaded friend out of the ally and back onto the street, where their senses were once again assaulted by the delicious aroma of baked goods. Ranma made her way down the street with Naruto in tow, pretending not to notice the vendor until the last minute. She sniffed the air in a rather obvious manner. "Oh! What's that smell?"

Naruto took her cue, disguising her voice with admirable skill. "Smells like delicious octopus balls!"

"And fish balls and crab cakes!" The aging vendor unknowingly took his cue, springing the trap from which he was not to escape. "Minumoto has the best street eats in all of Konoha!" He leaned over the cart, clearly enamored by the two girls. "Would either of you cuties like a stickie or two?"

"Oh yes! How about you, Na-chan?" Ranma clapped, gushing cuteness. Naruto stood, staring cluelessly at the vendor and his cart until her partner elbowed her. "How about YOU, Na-CHAN?"

Naruto picked up the not so subtle clue and nodded furiously. "Oh yes! Definitely!"

The vendor looked from one girl to the other, his gaze settling on the blonde in orange. He studied her for a moment, cocking his head. "Do I _know_ you?"

"Um, uh.. eh…"

Fortunately, Ranma had more than enough experience from being in situations exactly like the one presented to Naruto and picked up the fumble with practiced ease. "Oh, _she's_ my cousin! Just visiting for the weekend! You've probably seen her around with me."

"Yep! Just visiting! That's me!" Naruto chirped, flashing the old man a grin and a peace sign. The vendor studied the girl for a bit longer before simply shrugging, his good nature smile returning.

"Then what can I get you charming girls?"

"Oh! I'll take two octopus stickies, a bag of crab cakes, some fishballs for Na-chan, some of those scrumptious…"

Naruto listened to the redhead continue cheerfully, her eyes wide. _How the heck did Ranma expect to pay for all that anyway?!_ It wasn't as if he had any money, and he was sure her friend didn't have much either. _Maybe she's rich or something_, the blond mused, only to have his thoughts interrupted once more by a cry of dismay.

"Oh no!"

Two sets of eyes focused on the pigtailed girl, who was now frantically digging through her pockets. "Oh, I know it was just here!"

Naruto couldn't help but to arch a skeptical eyebrow now. The pockets that had held an entire canteen were now apparently empty. Fortunately, the old vendor didn't notice. "What's wrong, Red?"

"I could have sworn my money was here!" Ranma exclaimed pitifully, and even Naruto began to feel sorry for her until the redhead focused on her. "How about you, Na-chan? Do you have any??"

"Um…"

"Oh, neither of us do!" Ranma inserted, her eyes shiny and sad. "Now you'll never get to taste the best octopus balls in Konoha!"

Naruto blinked, staring at the girl incredulously. "That's, um… sad?"

"Now, now! We can't have that!" The man's chest puffed out. Naruto watched with amazement as he began to wrap up the requested treats. "I think I can afford to part with a few, especially for two of the cutest girls in Konoha!"

Naruto watched as Ranma practically glowed. "Oh no! I couldn't do that for such a nice man…"

"Think nothing of it, dear." He commented, packing an extra stickie into the bag for good measure. "Just promise you and your cousin will stop by again."

"Oh, most definitely!" The redhead piped as the goods changed hands. Naruto couldn't help but to note the unholy light shining in her eyes as she gathered the foodstuffs. Ranma bowed deeply and giggled before taking Uzumaki's hand. "Come on, Na-chan! We'll be late!"

With that proclamation, She was dragging Ranma off down the road, away from the vendor and around a corner where she stopped abruptly. "Dibs on the crab cakes."

The blond girl stared at his friend with incredulity. "You…! I…! How…!?"

"He didn't stand a chance." Ranma stated as she pushed a couple stickies toward Naruto. "We need to work on your technique, though. Maybe change your clothes in girl form, too."

Naruto blinked. Repeatedly. It was all she could do. "We got food. For free?"

Nobody _ever_ gave her _anything_ for free.

"Kinda fun, huh?" Ranma smiled between crab cakes. "Even more fun now that I got somebody to score free eats with. Never could get Kawaii-kun to tag along."

Even if she were so inclined, there was little Naruto could do to object as she stuffed her face full of seafood products. As it was, she wasn't inclined to and had to admit, Ranma was indeed correct. It _was_ fun. The blonde girl tossed an empty skewer aside, rapidly depleting her share of the loot. "What now?"

Ranma looked at her friend with an impish smile. "Now, how many vendors are there between here and your friends?"

* * *

Sakura was happy. First, she was alone with Sasuke. That fact alone was more than enough to make her quite content, causing her to flash him a shy smile. Her teammate responded with a dark, brooding look that sent shivers down the pink haired girl's spine. 

_God, he's so hot!_

Second, their instructor was late. That, however, was a known quantity. Kakashi-sensei could more than likely be late for his own death and not break character. But the third thing was even better… Naruto was late as well. Lacking the most bothersome aspect of their team meant she could spend the entire breakfast alone with Sasuke in wonderful, romantic silence. Her. Not some school girl. Not even Ino. Her. Alone.

"HE'S MINE!" Inner Sakura roared, pumping her fist in monochromatic victory.

Unfortunately, she spoke too soon.

"Sasuke, I… I know this is kind of sudden…" The girl began timidly, staring down from the bench they both sat upon. "But I think we really share a common…"

Her voice trailed off as she noticed his stoic demeanor focused elsewhere. She followed his gaze down the block and found two girls laughing riotously. _Why would Sasuke care about two_—Sakura's eyes widened. _That… that girl! Boy! Whatever! She's walking towards us! _Her irritation stalled as she noted the redhead's companion. This one was clad in an orange jacket and pants, while blonde streamers floated off to either side of her head. Sakura frowned as she watched the two draw closer, chatting happily. _That one looked vaguely familiar…_

As if reading her thoughts, Sasuke voiced his own thoughts aloud.

"Naruto."

"Naru…" The name fell off her lips incomplete as realization hit her. The girl was… She looked like… The only time she had actually seen it was as a prank and never fully clothed. Here, he was just walking down the street like he wore the illusion every God damn day! _What the hell!?_ Sakura's patience snapped abruptly. _What the hell is he trying to do?! Embarrass us?!_

"YOU IDIOT!" Both girls stopped abruptly as Sakura stomped over. "Are you TRYING to be a pervert or something?!"

Her fist bounced off Naruto's forehead with a comical bonk, dispelling the illusion. Ranma's eyes narrowed on her as she fixed the boy with a glare that caused him to wince. She held it for a moment before turning her wrath on the redhead. "And you! _You_ wouldn't have won the other day if not for that stupid trick!"

"Stupid trick?" Ranma blinked, her irritation with the girl momentarily sidetracked by curiosity.

"The one you're using now!" She growled. "Don't play games with me!"

It took Ranma a couple of seconds to realize the thrust of her complaint, and when she did, couldn't help but to smile. Instead of addressing the girl's protest directly, Ranma looked over Sakura's shoulder. "How about you, Sas? Got any excuses?"

Sasuke's ominous stare darkened with the insult, but he managed to restrain himself. After a few more moments of intense study, the Uchiha spoke. "You're a girl."

Ranma snorted lightly to herself, adopting a rogish grin. "Maybe you're not a lost cause after all." She turned back toward Sakura. "Now Naruto's girl friend, on the other hand…"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"Anyway, I gotta go, 'Ruto." Ranma turned away from the fuming, pink haired girl. "Remember your promise. If ya ain't on the roof by five thirty, I'm wakin' your ass up."

With that, the pigtailed girl leapt up onto the nearest roof and was gone, leaving Naruto Uzumaki to answer some very pointed questions.

* * *

Hiashi stared at the boy sitting before him, piercing the unseen with a technique that defined his ancestry. The Byakugan reduced Ranma Saotome's physical form to mere shadows as the bloodline highlighted the various energies that flowed though his body. It only took Hiashi Hyuuga a few moments to come to the most likely conclusion available. 

"Are you sure he's not crippled?"

Ranma frowned at the theory while Iruka simply chuckled at the missive. He turned back to his student. "Ranma, are you crippled?"

The boy produced a lopsided grin and stood up from his chair. Seconds later, a fierce blue glow enveloped his person. "Not last I checked."

Hiashi took a step back on reflex, reactivating the Byakugan. The veins around his eye strained outward as chakra flowed wholesale into his pupiless eyes. The sight before him shocked the Hyuga head. Much of what he saw was similar to his previous attempt, in that the boy's chakra system was stunted. Nearly half of it was virtually inactive while the other half was glowing faintly with life force. In anybody else, he would have assumed Iruka's student had suffered a stroke or some other malady.

But now…

Now the child was glowing brightly, not only illuminating the room, but his internal flows as well. There was still no chakra being generated, but the life force flowing along those same paths was now polarized and radiating power. Hiashi stared for another minute before deactivating the Byakugan. The lines of power disappeared and the boy's physical form returned to his sight, still glowing. Only one question came to mind.

"But… _how?_"

Iruka nodded at Ranma, who let his battle aura drop off into invisibility. "Ranma and I are still working on that one. Our current theory is that chakra can be deconstructed into two elements of life force, ki and rei."

"Not so unusual," Hiashi commented, taking his own seat. "But it hardly explains _that_."

Ranma shrugged at the gesture Hiashi sent his way and Iruka continued, "True, but actually utilizing its component parts _is_."

Hiashi blinked. "Then that was…"

"Ki." Ranma added. "Spirit energy in terms of what you all know. It's all we got back home."

"And why your participation has been requested by the Hokage himself." Iruka reminded the patriarch subtly. "Our goal is to help Ranma develop his rei so that he can effectively mold chakra."

Hiashi was now officially in a state of semi-shock. Chakra was the basis of power within the realm of the ninja. To realize that it could be divided up and used _effectively_ was nearly earth shattering, especially when he considered the implications for his own art... In some ways, it was almost the direct counter to his school—a technique that allowed an opponent to continue functioning even after the chakra had been sealed…

"I see you understand the need for discretion in this matter." Iruka commented, interpreting Hiashi's silence. The man nodded gravely. Ranma looked from his instructor to the stranger curiously and back. "The Hyuga's bloodline allows them to not only see through and around most objects, but also the flows of chakra within any living thing…"

"His school revolves around that, doesn't it?" The tactical portion of Ranma's brain assimilated the implications of such an ability and came up with reasoning at a terrifying speed. "Probably can see when somebody is gonna use chakra, maybe even disrupt it if you're good enough… Would be a pain in the ass to counter if somebody could fall back on the ki and rei… I'd be a little worried too, probably."

"Right." Hiashi returned stiffly, pressing past the disturbing new development. "And we're to help _him_ develop chakra?"

"Exactly." Iruka confirmed, missing the emphasis entirely. "Between the two of us, we've got plenty of theories, but little in the way to confirm them. Your bloodline and it's ability to see ki, rei, and chakra as a whole will be integral to our success."

Hiashi frowned, entirely dissatisfied with the direction the meeting had taken. Not only was his bloodline- a technique older than Konoha itself –being used for parlor tricks, but it was being used to help a child that held the potential to destroy the Byakugan as they knew it.

Hiashi was _far_ from pleased.

* * *

Ranma Saotome shook his head as he walked down the halls and past the various students milling around in the school hallway. _Ninja school_, the martial artist chuckled to himself as he pushed a door open and stepped out into sunlight. Furikan had nothing on this place. 

Overall, the meeting with Iruka and Hiashi had gone well. Meditation had never been his strong suit, but he'd done a lot worse than that to learn a new technique; sitting still in a silent attempt to build up his rei was a small sacrifice toward that goal. Still, the Hiashi-guy didn't appear to be a happy camper. Ranma smiled mentally as he cleared the school grounds and stepped out onto the streets of lower Konoha. _Of course, I'd be grumpy too if my art were rendered obsolete inside the space of five minutes_. Either way, it wasn't his fault that the guy's art was so one sided.

Still, his entire attitude all but assured Ranma that they'd be bumping heads sooner or later. Ranma mentally shrugged the dilemma away. That was for later. Now it was time to drop by practice range five and learn how to create a kick ass illusion or two. The pigtailed martial artist stopped abruptly, his face breaking out into a wide smile.

"God, I love this place."

A couple pedestrians gave him a queer look, but Ranma didn't mind. For the first time in his life, he was in a place that spoke his language… all without the baggage of fiancées or his dopey father arranging yet another marriage. His mind briefly paused on the point of Akane, sending a pang of guilt through his psyche. Not that he could do much about that anyhow… Not only was he stuck in Konoha for the near future, but he was thirteen with no conceivable way to return to his real age. Ranma's mood darkened as he contemplated the implications. In fact, the pig boy was probably feeding the Tendos some crap about getting lost during training or something. Not much else would suffice, as the fiancées would more than likely go looking for a body on any story more concrete than that. Still, part of him wished he was there when Ryoga told his story… The look on the old ghoul's face would be priceless, as would her pumping the pig boy for details. The Tendos might give him a pass. Even his old man might get fooled. But the Amazons? Cologne may have been an old ghoul, but she was a damn smart one. A slight grin cracked Ranma's face. Whatever it was, Ryoga's excuse had better be _damn_ good to keep _her_ from asking questions.

A pleasant walk and ten minutes later found the pig tailed martial artist approaching practice range five, where a pale woman with midnight hair and red eyes awaited. She smiled slightly as Ranma came into view, something Ranma was more than willing to return given the circumstances.

"So what are we gonna learn today, Yuhi-sensei?"

Kurenai Yuhi pursed her lips. _How best to handle this…_ "For today, we have a more pressing matters to deal with."

"Er… Sure. What's up?" Ranma put his hands in his pockets, falling the obi clad kunoichi down the path, further into the range itself.

"I have an unusual request to make of you, Ranma Saotome," Kurenai started softly as they walked. "A request only made possible because you are an unusual person, if I may be so blunt."

_That was blunt?_ Ranma blinked. Calling him 'unusual' was damn near a compliment considering the bluntness he received in Nerima on a regular basis. The red eyed nin continued.

"By now, I'm sure you've heard of the incident concerning the nine-tails?" She paused, and Ranma nodded.

"Yeah. Big ol' fox attacked the village or something." Ranma confirmed his sparse knowledge of the incident. "So nasty that you all had to seal it in 'Ruto for some reason."

"Indeed." The red eyed woman adopted her trademark neutrality. "That is secret knowledge in and of itself, but since you already know… Konoha suffered a terrible blow that day. The demon managed to gain a foothold within the village and was able to slay thousands of innocent people before being neutralized and sealed."

Ranma nodded silently as they turned down the path and stepped into the observation box. Two ninja were already on the field practicing their kunai throwing. _Bad stuff, but why is she tellin' me this…?_

"The loss of life was staggering." Kurenai continued softly and Ranma could all but see the ghosts of memories dance in her eyes. "For a small village such as Konoha, the event very nearly signified the end of the Hidden Leaf. Once the Forth passed on in his attempt to seal the nine tails, Sarutobi returned to power and saw that drastic changes would be required if Konoha was to survive the coming hardships." The kunoichi noted she had the boy's complete attention and pressed forward. "One of those changes was in how our future generations were trained. Much of our survival depends on how our strength is perceived by other villages and their host nations. As such, it was necessary to press most of our most experience ninja out into the field to maintain the perception of strength…"

A concept Ranma was well familiar with.

"…But such posturing was not without a price." Kurenai sighed. "While entirely necessary, it also represented a double edged sword. Sending our most experience out on missions meant fewer ninja to educate the next generation. As such, we began to embark on a condensed curriculum, cutting all but the most vital training in order to keep from short changing our future."

"Fewer trainers, less people to teach." Ranma condensed the explanation, earning another nod from Kurenai.

"But not just less people to teach. Less _specialized_ instruction as well." She explained. "While we have recovered quite a bit in the following decade since the demon's attack, our training and education system still lacks the manpower to return to the individualized education…"

The pale woman took a deep breath. Time to drop the other shoe… "…specifically in training our kunoichi."

Ranma stared at the woman, waiting for the story to continue. Yeah, I can see that'd it suck for training, he thought silently. I mean, lot of the ninjas around here look to be guys. Training probably revolves more around them than the chicks. Can't train em the same as guys either, I oughta know… I'd just about die if I had to go through half the crap I put up with from my old man as a girl…

Kurenai watched the wheels of thought churn behind the young man's eyes. _Waaaait for it…_

Ranma blinked. Then blinked again. His expression abruptly soured. "Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me."

"I… we… _Konoha _wouldn't entertain such a drastic course of action of the need were not so dire." The woman explained, attempting to defuse the martial artists irritation. "Our education of newly graduated nins has gotten us by over the last thirteen years_… barely_. The various clans have helped bolster that training, but even so, the current curriculum is a mere shadow of what it once was. You," She motioned to Ranma, "Present us with a unique opportunity."

The pigtailed boy looked thoroughly put out now, crossing his arms. "And just how is that?"

"I asked you yesterday what you would do in Konoha if not for your skills as a martial artist." Kurenai managed to keep her even demeanor despite her quickening pulse. _If she could only convince the boy… _"We simply seek to utilize those skills to their fullest."

"By gettin' me to play kunoichi." Ranma stated dryly, prompting her nod.

"There is simply no way to deny your ability in the field." She inserted the counterpoint. "Combat tailoring. Cooking. Dining. Ballroom Dancing. Tea Cere—"

"And disguises, and calligraphy and yadda yadda yadda…." Ranma sighed, hanging his head. "God, me and my big mouth."

"And of course, the unspoken fact…"

"…That I change into a girl." Ranma grumbled. "I mean, couldn't ya send me out on a mission or somethin'?"

"Were we able, we would." Kurenai admitted. "As skilled as you are, it's obvious that you harbor critical deficiencies that would allow you to compete outside this village…"

"Hey!"

"…At a rank befitting of your ability." She finished hastily, mollifying the martial artist somewhat. "As an instructor- specifically to kunoichi –you have intimate knowledge of the skills and abilities required. Likewise, your mastery of Taijitsu."

"So I know a few things. So what." Ranma continued to grumble and the nin prepared to push her point home.

"Tell me, how much experience do you have the poisons?"

Ranma's gaze narrowed on the woman.

"Charms, magical and otherwise?"

Ranma glowered, but remained silent.

"Seduction technique?"

His cheeks reddened to a fine pinkish hue.

_Better not push too hard,_ the kunoichi decided. "The fact is that you are not only imminently qualified for the position, but the only person we can even consider sparing for such specialized instruction… Specialized instruction that Konoha needs to return to desperately. _You_ are the first step on that path."

Ranma settled into glaring fiercely at the woman, but internally… Internally, Ranma was hating himself. She was _right_. His female aspect could twist men around her pinkie. He had intimate knowledge of poisons, given his interaction with Kodachi and Shampoo, the latter habitually using magical charms on a regular basis. He could spot both a mile away anymore and even recreate his fair share after such repeated exposure. He could turn a intricate tea ceremony into a lethal art. With Happosai's unwitting help, his calligraphy was a potentially deadly weapon. He knew pressure points both mundane and exotic. All combined with the Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū…

"And I was really startin' to like this place, too."

Kurenai studied the disgruntled boy carefully, watching as a torrent of emotion flowed across his face. After a full minute, he settled for a labored sigh and returned her gaze silently. Another moment of silence passed and the nin decided to indulge in her curiosity. "Is it really so bad?"

"Hmmf." Ranma snorted in a derisive manner, shaking his head. "A year ago, I was kickin' people's ass for implying what you're suggestin'. Gotta remember… was born a guy, been one for fifteen years. Me and Ranko have only known each other for about two and a half years."

"Ranko?" Kurenai stopped with the unknown name.

"Eh, yeah. A little… joke about my girl-type." He brushed past the cryptic reference. "Anyway… It took a good bit of those two and a half years to come to terms with the curse. I was raised to be a man among men, the best of the best. It don't take much to imagine what I was feelin' back then."

"You felt emasculated."

"Damn right." Ranma returned decisively. "I was jumpin' at cures left and right to get rid of it. Half the time they were fakes and the other half would cost me more than I was willin' to pay. You can only do that so many times before you go insane or make yer peace."

The woman simply listened, enraptured by the child spouting wisdom beyond his years. "You made your peace."

Ranma held his silence for another moment, continuing to stare at the person that was to be yet another mentor in his life. The pigtailed boy took a deep breath. "Let's just say we're still working on the terms."

"I see." Kurenai's acknowledged the explanation neutrally. The boy's life definitely had more issues and depth than his nonchalant personality indicated. She had assumed he had adjusted well to his condition... In fact, he had, considering all he'd been through. _And now that I know what I'm up against…_ "Konoha would owe you an enormous debt for this service, Ranma. As it is, I've already been able to secure the assistance of the Hyuga clan in order to help with—"

Ranma blinked, jolted out of his introspective. "You mean that stuffy Hiashi guy?"

"The same." The woman's lips turned up in a slight smile. "His assistance will enable you to develop your chakra faster. Likewise, the Hokage has assured me that you will be paid a wage befitting of you position as instructor, plus a standard equipment and supplies allowance. Additionally, we will make Konoha's complete Taijutsu, Genjutsu and ninjustu archives available to you for your study, should you undertake this task…"

Ranma's eyes continued to widen as she detailed the job's benefits. "Just for trainin' a bunch of girls in how to be kunoichi?"

"Three girls to be exact." The nin corrected. "They will be your charges for two hours a day when they aren't attached to their regular teams. You are to evaluate and train them in advanced combat arts, subversion, interaction in formal settings, seducti—"

"I ain't teaching them how ta kiss."

"Of course not." Kurenai shook her head. "Just the finer points in how to use their feminine charms."

"Oh, that's easy." Ranma shrugged, ready to move on to the next topic.

The kunoichi raised a skeptical eyebrow. _Evidentially some of the 'terms' are coming along better than others. "_Of course, you will detail their status to me or the Hokage direct—"

"Nobody interferes with the training." Kurenai stopped again as Ranma interrupted again.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm gonna train 'em, and train 'em hard." Ranma leaned forward from his position, eyes glinting. "I only got 'em for two hours a day, so I'm damn well gonna make the most of it."

Ranma's aggressiveness succeeded in throwing Kurenai off her traditionally neutral balance. "Of…Of course… If their progress exceeds expectations, then we may consider them for more active roles." The boy hung on every word. "Do we have an agreement?"

Ranma paused for a moment, as if considering a last minute withdraw from their negotiations. Whatever the internal dialogue, he nodded a second later. "Deal."

Kurenai Yuhi allowed herself a rare, genuine smile. "Then let's go meet your new team."

* * *

**Author's notes;**  
Thanks for staying with me. I know release times can be hit or miss at times, so I tried to put as much in this chapter as I dared while keeping the plot even. Most Excellent thanks to Metroidvania for helping shorten my editing time by a large margin. Anything left after his run is my responsibility. 

Resu Genkaku: Kurushimi_ – Lesser Illusion: Pain; I wasn't able to dig up very much concerning Kurenai's abilities, a fact exuberated by her minimal face time in the series. The one major technique I was able to nail down was entirely inappropriate to use in a training scenario, but the woman is reputed to genjitsu specialist. Lesser illusion: pain was created to fill this gap and be used on Ranma—An illusion where the mind is placed in a situation to expect pain to varying degrees as determined by the caster._

Of Foxcats and Fiancées – _I can't tell you how many issues I've had in trying to determine the optimal match for Ranma in this series, all the way up to posting polls in order to help me overcome my own indecisiveness. I would tell you who I've decided on, but Lord knows that might very well change between now and the time it becomes a major plot point._


	6. Chapter 6

**Tales of the Foxcat**  
Chapter 6

By _Ozzallos_

"**S**o these girls you're takin' me to meet…" Ranma asked in a slightly hesitant voice as he followed Kurenai from the gates of practice range five and angled for the gates of its cousin, range four. The martial artist barely noted that the path to range six was barricaded and roped off for construction.

"Yes?" The nin continued her easy walk while the boy trailed behind.

"They ain't psychos, are they?"

The kunoichi stiffened with the question, her forward progress faulting as she turned back on Ranma. If she didn't know any better, an edge of foreboding had crept into his voice. "Psychos?"

Ranma nodded, paying her reaction no heed. "Yeah, cuz that got pretty old in Nerima, ya know?"

It took a moment for the genjutsu instructor to collect her thoughts, staring down at the thirteen year old with red eyes. "And why would you think that these girls might be… psychos?"

Ranma shrugged "Beats the hell out of me, but I seem to run into my fair share of 'em. More than my fair share, though half that's my old man's fault."

"Your old man—? Kurenai cut herself off abruptly as she remembered some of the parenting that her newest student had related to her. "Wait, never mind. Suffice to say, they're all very nice girls. One is even in my training group."

"If you say so." Ranma returned in a somewhat doubtful manner, and the pair continued walking. "So why aren't ya training that one in your group then?"

"I'm lucky to train all three as much as I am able, Ranma-kun." Kurenai explained. "Were there more hours in the day, I would gladly, but until the village population renews itself, we are all forced to train to the most common denominator."

"Guys." Ranma supplied and Kurenai nodded.

"Correct. Which is why we need somebody such as yourself so badly." The red-eyed nin elaborated. "You're highly skilled, but we can't field you. Given your unique abilities, this was the most logical course available to us."

Ranma snorted with dry amusement. "'Unique', as in 'I change into a girl with the application of cold water'."

"In addition to the other skills we outlined." She admitted freely. "That aspect merely sealed the deal."

"R_iiight_."

Kurenai felt more than saw the roll of the young boy's eyes, eliciting a slight smile from her. If there was one thing obvious about Ranma by now, it was that there was a good deal of show in his objections toward this plan, as if he felt obligated to put on the front before getting down to business.

Ranma and Kurenai passed through the tree lined gates of range four, walking down a stone path similar to its immediate cousin before it branched off to the left and up toward the simple wooden construct of the field's observation booth. The martial artist's left eyebrows arched curiously as he caught sight of three girls sitting within the booth, blond, brown and cobalt blue respectively. The blond and brunette pleasant conversation halted as they noted the approach of the red eyed instructor while the cobalt haired girl remained in quite reserve on the periphery. The appearance of their instructor only distracted them for a moment before their eyes fell on the boy accompanying her.

Ranma suppressed the jitters being the focus of three girls produced and stepped confidently beside Kurenai. Every fiber of his being screamed that this was all a bad, _bad_ idea, but for better or worse he had committed himself.

_Probably worse_, Ranma's conscious thought returned dryly, then turned to the genjutsu instructor. "This them?"

Kurenai nodded, motioning to the girls from left to right. "Yamanaka Ino, Tenten and finally, Hyuga Hinata."

The blonde was the first to speak, her visage forming into a slightly mischievous smile. "Who's the cutie, Sensei?"

"I'll bet he trains with us." The odangoed brunette supplied, while the shyer of the three simply watched with an ever increasing blush growing across her cheeks.

Ranma's blue eyes darted from one girl to the other, taking in the first impressions. The Ino girl seemed too refined to be in this line of work while the one with odangos held herself with guileless confidence. The blue haired girl was obviously terminally shy and—

_Shit!_

Recognition hit him like a thunderbolt. _The neko-ken girl! _If there was a doubt before, there certainly wasn't now. This was such a bad idea it wasn't even bad anymore… it was rapidly become _epically_ bad.

"I'm glad you all made it." Kurenai drew the girls attention away from the boy; the boy who was now silently struggling not to part company with this wholly insane scheme. "As you already know, each of you has been individually selected to undergo special training. In fact, you will be the first graduates in _thirteen years_ to under go this training."

"Whoa!" Tenten leaned forward in surprise while Hinata harbored an equal look of shock.

"No way!" the blonde followed up, clearly stunned. Special training. The first students in thirteen years. Training that Sakura _wasn't_ receiving.

_YES!_

The black haired boy was momentarily forgotten now as all attention focused on the nin. "This training will continue for two hours a day outside your regular instruction. I've been promised it will be demanding and intense. You will only have this one opportunity to back out now."

All three girls stared at the red eyed ninja, still rolling in the after shocks of disbelief. From the trio, Hinata was the first to form a coherent thought.

"Um," She began timidly. "What sort of training is it, Yuhi Sensei?"

A rare smile found its way to Kurenai's lips. "Kunoichi instruction."

Tenten's eyes widened and she shot up from her bench seat beside the other two girls, raising her hand. "In!"

She was followed less than a second later by Ino. "Damn right!"

Only Hinata remained seated now and Kurenai turned to the girl. "Hinata-chan?"

"I… I would like to…" The girl's pupil-less eyes found the ground, focusing on the planks at her feet rather than the people around her. The instructor's smile lost a bit of its cheeriness as she realized exactly where the girl's reservations lay… That _monster _mistakenly given the title of father.

Kurenai took Hinata's chin gently and raised it from its ground borne vector, her smile returning to its previous intensity for the benefit of the girl. "If it helps, the Hokage himself fully backs this initiative and has already informed… everybody who _needs_ to be informed."

Hinata blinked as the meaning set in. The Hokage not only was backing this training, but her_ father_ was going along with it too? "I… I guess… I mean… I would like to..."

Kurenai's cheerful smile returned, if only for the benefit of Hinata. "Then you will. But you- all of you -must be certain of this. The Hokage is placing his trust in you, as am I."

All three girls nodded solemnly and the nin's demeanor lightened. She stepped aside, allowing the forgotten boy beside her to take center stage. "Then let me introduce Ranma Saotome."

Hinata's blush suddenly reappeared while Tenten was left blinking. "I thought you said this is kunoichi training?"

Ino suddenly regained a mischievous smile that set Ranma's insides to squirming. "Unless you mean we get to practice on him?"

_Uh, uh! No way, not again! _A portion or Ranma's brain declared as his hand reached behind his back, folded through a thin pocket of ki and pulled out a familiar canteen. _Time to stomp on this fiancée fire before it even gets started. _He unscrewed the cap and held each of the girls with his cocky trademark smirk.

"Like she said, I'm Ranma Saotome, and I ain't practice..." He upturned the canteen over her head and instantly lost and inch and muscle bulk. Ino choked as the boys jet black hair faded into a crimson red hair and enough curves to make two out of the three girls extremely envious.

"…I'm your _instructor_."

The moment huge in silence. it passed and chaos erupted among the three girls.

"INSTRUCTOR?!" Ino blurted, goggling at the boy turned girl.

"He... _she's_ no older than we are!" Tenten pointed with an amount of incredulity equal to her blonde cohort.

"Isn't… Isn't Ranma-sensei a… a…" Hinata chewed on her upper lip, her eyes telling her there was no boy to be found amongst them any more as she fought to expel the word. Ino managed the task for her.

"Yeah! And what's up with that?!" Scorn began to intermix with her objection. "Some boy with a cheesy jutsu can't teach us how to be kunoichi!"

Kurenai glanced to the redhead, finding an unperturbed expression writ across her face. Apparently she was quite used to this sort of reaction. Ranma simply stared back at the doubting looks focused on her person and shrugged, walking to the edge of the platform railing. Beyond was the empty range the straw dummies sticking up from the barren field.

The red eyed nin was suddenly enlightened and alarmed at the same time. "Ranma, please don't destroy another one."

"Nah." the girl replied nonchalantly, stretching her arm out and sighting the middle of the field. "Just an object lesson."

The trio of girls looked from the girl to their instructor, then back to the girl. _Destroy? Destroy another what?_ Their question was quickly answered as a fierce blue aura sprang to life around Ranma, collection into an angry ball in her outstretched hands. Eyes widened as the ball grew, pulsing with a power that seemed to wash across their bodies. A silent 'oh' drifted from Tenten's lips and Hinata slipped into the Byakugan on reflex, nearly staggering at the sight her bloodline revealed.

Ranma let the shimmering globe grow to the size of a small car before releasing it, allowing the sphere to fly downrange and squarely into the middle of a denser population of straw dummies.

_**BOOOOoooOOOMMM!!!!**_

Even Kurenai's eyes widened as the strike zone flashed was promptly obliterated, sending an angry cloud of debris into the blue sky while chunks of stone began to pelt the roof of the observation booth in a sharp staccato rain. The constant breeze that had accompanied the afternoon blew the majority of smoke away quickly, leaving an angry, scared crater. The nin considered her charge with even greater curiosity now… _That wasn't a powered down version from her demonstration run yesterday_ she realized with slight awe. _More likely what she could do in her original body_. The slightest tremor ran through Ranma's body, but she doubted the girls noticed it. _Too much for that one, though_, she noted, even if the redhead's attitude said otherwise.

That observation out of the way, Kurenai decided to break the shock and awe of the moment before the girls noticed it themselves. "Looks can be deceiving." Her words tore there attention away from the smoking crater and the red haired girl. "Your instructor is a Jonin ranked ninja specially selected for this assignment. _She_ is imminently qualified to train you in the kunoichi arts."

"Not… Not a jutsu??" Ino stumbled, clearly noting the woman's emphasis on gender.

Kurenai shook her head, turning to Ranma. "Ranma, was that a jutsu illusion?"

The girl cast her a bland look that clearly said 'I hate you', but replied anyway. "I'm as much of a girl as any one of ya."

"A…bloodline?" Tenten hazarded and Ranma shrugged with indifference.

"Not quite… Tenten?" Ranma reaffirmed the name and the girl responded with a nod. "But close enough not to matter. I'm a boy when I'm a boy and a girl when I'm a girl."

"Isn't that kind of… Perverted?" Ino blinked as the implications of such an ability came home to roost.

"Not nearly as much as ya might think." Ranma's eyebrow arched, clearly expecting the question. "Gives you a unique perspective, ya know?"

"I can imagine." Tenten wondered aloud.

"Doubt it, but like Kurenai sensei said," Ranma continued, opting to let them stew over the development a bit themselves later. "You can still back out, but I'll let you know this up front… I ain't a pervert, I'm the best martial artist you'll ever meet and under my training, you'll be the best damn kunoichi this village has ever seen."

The girls stared at the redhead. Even Kurenai stared at her. The absolute confidence in that statement left absolutely no room for doubting the young instructor's ability, impossible as it may have seemed. It filled Kurenai with a warm feeling, a feeling of…

…_Hope_. Hope for these girls, hope for the village and hope for the future.

"But I ain't gonna lie to you," The redhead continued, breaking the spell. "I've only got you for two hours a day so it's gonna be rough. If you're plan on droppin' out, do it now and save us both the trouble."

Ino's face lapsed from shock to a firmer visage while Tenten straightened her posture unconsciously. Even Hinata had managed to maintain eye contact. It was all Kurenai needed. "Then I think I'll be off." She nodded her silent affirmation of support. "The paperwork will be delivered to your dorm by nightfall."

Ranma watched the kunoichi saunter off the platform and down the path and around a thicket of lush greenery before turning back to the girls. "Alright, first I gotta get to know you. I guess we'll start with you, No-chan."

"No..chan?" The blonde blinked. Her new instructor was clearly focused on her, but… "What do you want to know?"

Ranma paused for a second, clearly not having through the question through. "Stuff, I guess. What do you like, dislike, that sort of thing."

"Oh." Ino nodded. It was a simple request. "I love to practice my ikebana, I dislike that pink haired witch pawing MY Sasuke and am heir to the Yamanaka bloodline."

"I ain't no ikeban master, but we can probably trade notes." Ranma returned as memories of man eating plants danced through her head. That, and there was only one pink haired witch she knew of around Konoha… "And what's your family's bloodline do?"

"It specializes in mind-body manipulation." She answered in a haughty tone.

"Hmm. Sounds useful." The redhead filed the fact away for later consumption. "How about you, Ten?"

"Ten_ten_." She correct with slight annoyance which passed quickly as she complied with the request. "I like to paint, dislike spiders and am really, really good with ranged weaponry."

"How good?"

"I currently hold the kunai trial academy record." The odango'd girl smiled confidently. "One hundred out of one hundred."

"Don't worry, we'll improve that some." Ranma smiled benevolently and Tenten's satisfaction turned into a frown

"Your turn, 'Nata." Ranma stated, bypassing Tenten's frustration completely.

"I… um…" Hinata twitled her fingers nervously and her eyes drifted to the ground. "I, like somebody, um, dislike hurting people and practice my family art, the Juken."

"Juken…" The word rolled off Ranma's tongue. "Pressure points, force redirection and all that?" A silent nod from the girl prompted Ranma to continue. "And the Byakugan like your old man?"

Hinata's posture stiffened slightly at the off handed mention. "Y-Yes."

"Interesting." The redhead commented, taking the three in as a whole.

The No-girl seemed passably proficient in the art by her posture, but not overly so. In fact, it was quite obvious that by her refined look and manner that there was probably a princess complex in there that would need broken down before any real training could begin. Blue eyes passed from Ino to Tenten and Ranma suppressed a chuckle. _Looks like a little amazon_, she noted, taking in the girl's Chinese style clothing. _Might have to ask her where to get some_. She appeared confident in her ability but probably stood at about the same mediocre level as No-girl when it came to hand to hand. One thing that was already clear that Hinata was going to be the biggest challenge of the group.

No-girl she'd have to be careful with in breaking down the princess complex without completely shattering her, but it was doable. Ten would probably be the easiest to train out of the bunch, but Hinata… The girl had issues, self confidence being the prime among those. Her stance and posture told her there was definitely skill beneath the exterior, but little in the way of assertiveness or confidence.

_Gonna be a bitch to overcome and I ain't no psychologist_, Ranma through to herself, sizing the girl up. _Gotta ask Kurenai-sensei about her later._

"Alright, a little about me then." Ranma broke from her observations, holding the trio with blue eyes. "Your first question is probably how can this cute little redhead your age be teaching you how to be kunoichi?" All three girls nodded and Ranma smiled mischievously. "Because this cute little redhead is the heir to the Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū and master of over twenty styles of taijutsu, in addition to a dozen or so of the more obscure arts." The watching girls faced formed into expressions of disbelief. "Aside from that, I love martial arts, okonomiyaki and hate pigs."

The blonde raised her hand. "What's up, No-chan?"

"_Ino_." The girl's face scrunched, but moved on to her question. "You're a boy _and _a girl?"

_Saw that one coming a mile away,_ Ranma snorted with dead amusement. "Depends on the weather." Ino's look turned to befuddlement and Ranma elaborated. "I change with water. Hot, and I'm a guy. Cold and I'm a girl."

"That's the weirdest bloodline I've ever heard of." Tenten shook her head, causing Ranma to chuckle.

"Tell me about it." She replied with amusement. "But I'm Ranma all the time, regardless of the body."

Hinata raised her hand tentatively. "What are you going to be teaching us, Sensei?"

"Lot's of stuff." Ranma smiled. "Aside from the taijutsu work, I'll be teachin' ya nearly everything ya need to know about bein' a kunoichi. Formal dining etiquette, calligraphy, tea ceremonies, how to dress, infiltration…"

Hinata cocked her head. "I… I'm well versed in formal dining."

"Can you incapacitate somebody with a spoon?"

Ino gawked. Tenten stared. Hinata was left blinking. "Um, no?"

"Then ya ain't well versed enough." Ranma countered, but smiled. "But you can probably help me out with these two."

"My calligraphy is _very_ good!" Ino blurted and Ranma shared a knowing smile with her.

"Mine can cut through walls."

Ino resumed her gawking.

Ranma continued. "One thing I ain't so good at yet is genjutsu. If I can't help ya with it, I'll get Kurenai-sensei to help ya out, but for now, I need to know where all you stand."

"Where we…?" Tenten cocked her head with curiosity.

"C'mon." Ranma waved, beckoning the girls to follow her off the observation platform. "We're going to get know each other better…"

"Oh, well that's not so bad…"

"…On the practice range."

All three girls suddenly developed a very large pit in the stomach as they reluctantly followed the thirteen year old redhead that was now their sensei off the platform and onto the field.

* * *

"Oh, God…" Ino complained, rubbing a sore arm as she plopped into a chair beside her new friends, once again muttering a silent prayer to the gods of air conditioning. Next to her, Tenten's head was flat on the café table while Hinata's arms hung limp at her sides, giving her slight frame a boneless look. "She can't be for real!" 

"Uhhg…" Tenten moaned, pain pulsing through her. "That certainly _felt_ real enough. I didn't even hit her once… You, Hinata?"

"I can't feel my arms." The girl stated simply, any embarrassment or shyness lost in deference to sheer exhaustion.

The blonde's frown deepened. Much as she hated to admit it, the wallflower was probably the best in their group when it came to hand to hand. The redhead had simply allowed her to attack for a bit, dodge some more and then rendered her arms completely useless with a couple of pokes. Tenten's vaunted perfection with ranged weaponry was nearly as bad. Their new sensei simply sidestepped every one of the practice blades thrown at her, engaged their teammate in hand to hand before promptly dropping her to the dirt as if she had gotten bored with the entire process.

That left her as the last girl standing.

It was perhaps the only highpoint of the entire sparring session as she stopped the crimson blur cold with her bloodline. It was actually shocking that tactic had worked, if only for exactly two point three seconds before burning through her control and engaging her in hand to hand combat.

The outcome was predictable and the injustice of it all returned with a vengeance. "But she's no older than we are!"

"I don't think it matters." Tenten commented, propping herself up from the flat of the table. Her face was now impressed by the flower designs inlaid upon its surface. "Did you have your eyes up, Hinata?"

The cobalt blue haired girl nodded. "I… I believe everything she said." Her teammates' attention instantly focused. "Ranma-sensei is _very_ powerful… Not in chakra, but something else. Nor is her bloodline an illusion. She really changes like that. And she's _fast_…"

"Frankly, I'm surprised she let you off as easy as she did, Ino-chan." Tenten commented, absorbing the new information.

Ino nodded in agreement. She was expecting to get her ass kicked after initiating the Shintenshin no Jutsu on their new instructor, but instead got a curious look and a shrug after being dumped unceremoniously to the ground. The blonde shook her head with the memory. "Do you really think her calligraphy can cut through walls?"

Ino looked at Tenten. Tenten looked at Hinata. Hinata nodded. Ino sighed and leaned back. "Either this is going to be the biggest mistake we've ever made, or…"

"…Or she's everything she says she is and we're going to be the best damn kunoichi Konoha has ever seen." A smile began to creep along Tenten's lips. It was an infectious smile and Ino quickly found herself smiling. Even Hinata's lips managed the slightest grin as each girl indulged in the speculation as to just what this new training could do for them.

Outside across the street, a girl with pink hair stopped short, her idle chatter with a brooding Uchiha halting as she noticed an odd sight… Ino Yamanaka- her rival -hanging out in a café. That in itself wasn't so unusual. The people she was hanging out with, were, however. Tenten from Team Gai and Hinata from Team Eight. It wasn't the usual company she normally kept, but there they were, chatting it up. Ino was being… Sociable?

She stared for a moment, trying to discern the happenings within the cafe when Ino turned and caught sight of her through the shop's store front window. Her eyes widened slightly, but quickly settled into a smile…

…A rather disturbing smile.

Sakura shot the blonde a dirty look, opting to run back after _her_ Sasuke. She'd find out what the girl was up to sooner or later.

* * *

_Paperwork._

The word echoed through his brain with disgust as Ranma Saotome sat on his bed with a bored expression, shuffling through the rather large stack of paperwork Kurenai-sensei had delivered to his room. _Junk, junk, useless, junk…_ He sifted through the pile, separating anything that looked remotely interesting from the items that caused his eyes to glaze over. The first casualty had been the section relating to rules and regulations, quickly reduced to component atoms by a tiny Moko Takabisha after skimming through their contents. The section outlining damages and compensation quickly followed it._ Ah, here we go._ Ranma's shuffling paused as he found forms pertaining to the requisition of supplies and equipment. _We'll be needin' a few of these_, he decided, and set the papers aside. _Let's see… Payroll and reimbursement… Gotta eat, I guess_. Ranma smiled. _Speaking of which_, the pigtailed boy quickly set a number of passes to the instructor's mess safely aside.

The Saotome's eyes drifted toward the window and the city beyond, the sun drifting slowly down into the skyline_. Not exactly Nerima_, he chuckled as his eyes picked over the chaotic jumble of buildings beyond. All in all, the sparring had gone pretty much as he had expected. The Hinata girl had skill, but little confidence to back it up. Ten was all range, but came up short in hand to hand, and the No-girl… Well, that had been interesting. One moment she had been advancing on the blonde and the next it felt like he was being shoved aside_… In his own brain_. He shoved back and Ino was gone, but it had certainly been an enlightening experience. Her hand to hand proved less inspiring.

_What to do…_ Ranma mused, leaning out through the open window. Tenten was probably the most obvious. Teach the girl the chestnut fist and ki folding and she'd be goddamn machine gun with those daggers of hers. Give her some pointers in Anything Goes Ballroom Dancing along with some melee work and she'd be a devastating weapon in or outside of hand to hand.

The No-girl was a bit harder. Her hand to hand wasn't bad per se, but chances were she wouldn't be able to hold her own with the gang back home. _And__if that mind-body thing is her only claim to fame, she's gonna be a project,_ Ranma sighed internally.

Hinata on the other hand… The girl was _fast._ Only two things kept the blue haired girl from landing a blow. First, Ranma had been fighting in her female aspect, allowing her to maintain parity with the girl in terms of speed, but the decisive factor was that Hinata had no real aggression whatsoever. With it, she was certain the shy girl could kick ass and take names. _At very least, I'd be forced to block her blows_, Ranma thought, remembering the exercise. There were moments where Hinata was pushing Amiguriken speed, but without the aggression, it was a hopeless prospect.

Did he really want toteach these girls the forbidden schools?

"_The world is full of determined killers, Ranma."_

"Dammit." He grumbled aloud. And if the woman was right, the threat level was magnitudes higher than anything seen in Nerima, formidable as the prefect may have been.

_Knock-knock._

Ranma turned back from the window, then spied the papers sprawled across his bed. His room wasn't exactly in any condition to receive company, but oh well. "Come on in."

The door opened and a feminine face framed with long black hair and red eyes dipped in. Kurenai studied the room for a moment before noticing the bed. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Ranma looked at the bed, then the pale kunoichi and smiled. "Nah. Just wadin' through all the paperwork you left on my doorstep while I was out."

"Ah yes. Paperwork," The pale woman stepped gracefully into the room, harboring a slight smile. "The bane of nin existence." Ranma noticed a black, rectangular box in her hand as her eyes continued to take in his abode, however temporary in nature it might be. "And if I may inquire about the girls?"

Ranma moved from the window to the small desk inhabiting the corner of his room, sitting up on it. "They ain't too bad. Gotta a lot of work ahead of 'em, though."

Kurenai nodded solemnly. "If Hinata is any indication as to the state of the other girls' skills…"

"She ain't." Ranma shook his head, causing the kunoichi to consider his with curiosity. "'Nata's _good_. Absolutely no confidence whatsoever, but she's good."

"And the others?"

"Ten's got the work ethic, just she's putting it all into throwing." Ranm explained. "Overspecialization's gonna cost her in a real fight. Ino ain't bad, but that brain trick of hers is situational at best."

"I see." Kurenai replied, her expression carefully neutral. "Does she have a chance, then?"

Ranma nodded, tapping a finger on the desk as if to emphasis the notion. "She's got good instincts. She knew anything else she could do wasn't gonna cut it against me and went straight for somethin' that would. None of the other girls did that and I know darn well Hinata _could_ have. That alone is powerful tool to work with."

"But."

It wasn't even a question and Ranma acknowledged it as such. "But she ain't ready up here." The martial artist tapped the side of his skull.

"She's still a school girl and I'm gonna have ta break that."

"I see." Kurenai pursed her lips. "Can she take it?"

"Don't know." The Saotome stated matter of factly. He sat in silence for a moment before regarding the kunoichi again. "Speakin' of which, what's going on with 'Nata anyway?"

"Ah." Kurenai frowned. Ranma had seen enough of the woman to realize that any facial expression beyond pleasant neutrality either meant that she was very happy or quite upset, the latter being prevalent in this particular case. "Hinata has a rather… _difficult _domestic life at home."

Ranma's own expression lapsed from curiosity to a frown of his own. "I just happen to have one of those at home too. Parents?"

The frown deepened. "Indeed."

_Ooh, she must be pissed_. Ranma noted. "Alright then. I got a good idea of what's happenin' then."

"The Hyugas can be very… _Prideful_." Kurenai was obviously picking her words very careful.

"Sounding more and more like home already." He quipped and an uncomfortable silence descended upon the pair for the next minute. Ranma hated uncomfortable silences.

"So what's in the box?"

Kurenai blinked at the sudden change in topics, suddenly remembering the other reason she had dropped by the dorm. "Ah, yes." She brought the flat rectangular black box up and offered it to Ranma. "The paperwork hasn't been finalized, but I think don't see any reason why you shouldn't receive this token of our gratitude before hand."

Ranma took the box with curiosity and the nin inclined her head. "Good evening, Saotome-san."

The woman departed as silently as she had arrived, leaving Ranma to look upon a closed door and the mystery box in his hand. After a moment of contemplation he pulled the top of the black rectangle off and set it aside before removing several sheets of delicate rice paper to reveal…

Steel.

Ranma's eyes found the reflective plate bound by six bolts and black silk folded immaculately beneath. His fingers traced the along a spiral that had been etched into the artifact itself coming to a point where the spiral converged into a cone along the left side of the symbol.

"Well I'll be damned."

* * *

"C'mon, 'Ruto, I know you can do better than that!" 

"I'm going as fast as I can!" The blond balked as he stepped through the kata and the intricate steps prescribed by his current tormentor, Ranma Saotome. "AaaaRhh!"

**THUD.**

"Owie." Ranma winced as the boy tripped over his feet, the result of which painfully applied his face to the roof shingles. That single word, however was the limit of the thirteen year old instructor's sympathy. "Again."

Naruto peeled his face off the roof and scowled. "Come on! What do I need to know this crap for?! I need those fancy moves you used against Sasuke, not dance lessons!"

The objection prompted Ranma to roll his eyes. "Well if you can't do a simple kata, what makes you think you can learn those moves?"

"Because I'm—"

"Going to be Hokage of Konoha, yeah yeah." Ranma mocked and jabbed a thumb to the monument at his back. "And I'm pretty sure any one of those guys on the mountain over there could dance circles around you, so shut up and do it again."

The blond sent and evil glare up at Ranma but hopped back up and assumed the beginning stance. He took a breath and stepped into the kata once more, slowly building speed. Soon he was moving at a respectable speed, twisting in and out of the various forms. "See? I'm the—"

**THUD.**

Ranma shook his head, but failed to offer the boy a hand up. "Seriously, we haven't even gotten to the hard stuff yet."

"This is stupid!" Naruto hopped back up, challenging the pigtailed boy. "Just show me some fancy moves so I can start kicking ass!"

"Feh, as if." Ranma shook his head. "So I guess all that big speech to the shrimp was nothing but a bunch of talk."

The spikey blonde's frustration died abruptly. "Huh?"

"You want instant power, that's fine." Ranma continued, distain creeping into his voice. "But you ain't getting it from me."

"but… but…" Naruto panicked as his opportunity to learn new techniques began to slip way. "But I need them to beat that bastard Sasuke!"

Ranma arched an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"Because he thinks he's so much damn better than everybody!" Naruto growled, clearly incensed. "And he rubs it in my face every chance he gets!"

"Funny… I knew somebody like that…" Ranma replied, turning out to the rood top ledge. "He was obsessed with beatin' me. Always lookin' for the next best super move to do it too."

"Yeah?" Naruto hung on every word of the story. "What happened to him?"

Ranma turned back to the boy in orange, his gaze a hard edge. "I kicked his ass."

Naruto shrank back slightly. "Oh."

"Each and every time." The martial artist continued, letting his eyes continue to burn into his friend and student.. "And the few times I couldn't, I learned somethin' new and kicked his ass again." Naruto remained silent, Ranma noting that his explanation was having the desired affect on the kid.. "Bad ass super moves help, but without the foundation, you ain't jack. I fought the Sas kid. He may be bastard, but he's got a foundation to build off of. You don't."

"So you're saying I suck," Naruto glared. "Just like everybody else."

"If you sucked, you wouldn't be up here now." Ranma countered, shaking his head. Obviously the straight up explanation wasn't working. maybe…

"Tell ya what… master this kata and I'll teach something cool."

Naruto's eyes suddenly began to shine with an eager light, his mood turning one hundred and eighty degrees instantly. "You got it, Sensei!"

Ranma smirked as Naruto fell back into the stance. He'd have to thank Nabiki when he got home. Bribery was, apparently, a universal constant.

* * *

Hinata Hyuga picked at her rice in silence as one of the estate servants refreshed her father's tea, then hers before departing as silently as she had come. The fact that she was eating her breakfast in silence was not so unusual. Eating her breakfast in silence with her father decided was. All things considered, it was an occurrence she wished to avoid as the events, rare as they were, usually led to Hiashi looking down on her in distain and disappointment. Today was something different. Something she could feel something slightly more… Ominous in the air. 

"Daughter." That single word dug the pit in her stomach immeasurably deeper as she unwillingly brought her eyes off the bowl of rice to meet the her father's gaze. His stoic demeanor was made even more intimidating by the pupil-less eyes that were their shared heritage.

"Y-Yes, father?" The clan head frowned at her stutter, but it wa short lived as the unemotional mask slid back into place.

"You are undergoing kunoichi training." It was a statement to which Hinata could only acknowledge with a nod. "The gender shifting child is your instructor." Another nod and the patriarch took a sip of his tea. "While the perfection of the Juken is a superior art, the kunoichi is a necessary role. Perhaps you will excel at this art where you have failed in others."

The eldest Hyuga daughter bowed her head with the verbal blow. "Yes father."

Hiashi considered his offspring impassively for another moment before continuing. "You will learn everything you can about the gender shifting child. Learn its art, learn its weaknesses. Report them to me. Do I make myself clear?"

Hinata couldn't bring herself to even make eye contact with her father and instead opted to mumble another "Yes, father."

She could practically feel the aura of dissatisfaction roll off the man as he took one final sip of his tea and stood up and left the room as unceremoniously as he had arrived, leaving the young girl to stew over the new development. Learn his weaknesses? _Its _weaknesses? She chewed on her fathers words with unease. The entire conversation implied she... he was a threat and it was her duty to the clan to inform on her instructor.

It wasn't a task she was looking forward to.

Not at all.

* * *

"The Restless Kunai." 

Ranma Saotome looked at the sheet of paper in his hand, then back up at the wooden placard hanging from the store front. The architecture was classic Japanese, and it was times like these when the young martial artist wondered just what had happened to produce this weird cocktail of society, technology and ninja that he stumbled upon. Thankfully, the impulse passed and he shook his head free of such bothersome thoughts.

"Guess this is the place." He shrugged while Naruto attempted to peer over his shoulder from at the papers in his hand.

"What are we doing here, anyway?" The blond asked, emoting curiosity as he followed his friend up the front steps.

"Shoppin'." Ranma pushed the door open, stepping into what his brain only describe as martial art heaven. The place was wall to wall weaponry of every sort while body armor hung off the racks interspersed throughout the store. Glass displays lined the perimeter of the store, protecting indecipherable paper seals from indiscriminant handling. In the middle of it all was a balding, middle aged man sporting a graying goatee. He wore a simple brown hamak and held a katana in one hand and a well worn rag in the other.

A smile spread across the martial artist face

A wide smile.

"Now this is what I'm talking about." He grinned, weaving through the racks of weapons of armor. His head swiveled left to right, taking in the sight of gleaming metal and smells of polish and leather as he moved deeper into the establishment.

"Ribald Barterman at ye service" The older man produced a shallow bow upon noting the pair, setting aside rag and blade in order to properly greet his new arrivals. "Young Naruto I believe I recognize, trouble maker that he is. Remember the rules, boy." The blond squirmed under his gaze, and pale blue eyes turned on Ranma. "You, I do not know. Ye here to buy or paw my wares like your partner? If the latter, you best turn around now before I chase you out with a switch."

Naruto cringed.

"Oh, I'm definitely buyin'." Ranma assured the proprietor with a smirk. The pale blue eyes considered him for another moment before passing judgment.

"Music to my ears, then." Ribald smiled crookedly. "The Restless Kunai is the finest shopping in all of Konoha. Widest selection, lowest prices and nary a fancy illustration." He motioned to the store at large in a grand gesture. "Just the goods, fair and plain."

Ranma began to dig into the pocket of his tangs. "That's great, cuz I got a list."

"Oh?" The owner looked at the boy as he pushed the sheets in one hand off to Naruto, then proceeded to unfold the piece of paper he had just retrieved.

"Yep." Ranma nodded, smoothing out the paper. "Letsee, I need five hundred feet of rope, three hundred kunai, four sets of vest armor, enough ten pound weights for three, including hand and legs, a hundred and fifty needle shuriken…" Ranma paused, his fingers recounting the list items. He looked up at the motionless store owner. "What do ya got that goes 'boom'?"

"Uh…"

"Tags!" Naruto volunteered eagerly. he didn't know how his friend was going to pull this off, but damned if he didn't want in on the action. "These over here!"

Ranma looked through the glass display at the small square parchment and the odd symbology pained there on. "Sure, a hundred of those, I guess."

The owner blinked.

"Smoke tags too!" Naruto blurted, his nose practically pressed against the glass now.

"Fifty of those." Ranma added, running down the list. "Let's see… How about the two jian on the wall over there, four body harnesses, matching bracers… Do you got any asbestos sheeting?

Ribald began to look slightly put out. "I think I'm going to need to see some ID."

"Oh, right." Ranma nodded absently, as if he got carded for weapons on a regular basis. The pigtailed boy snatched the paperwork back from Naruto and offered it to the shop owner, who in turn took it warily. He studied it for a moment, blinked and read it again. The goateed owner gave Ranma another edgy look before crossing the store floor, making his way to a wall mounted phone. Ribald picked up the receiver, dialed and waited.

"Yeah, this is Ribald of Restless." He began, never taking his eyes off the two kids. "I've got this kid with an official requisition form and—" He paused, taking in the voice on the other end of the line. "Um, you're sure?" Another pause. Ranma grinned. Naruto stared. No _way _could his friend actually pull this off. "Okay. My complete cooperation. Got it."

With a click the man hung up the phone and turned to the two boys, simply staring for a moment. "And where would you like all that delivered?"

* * *

Tenten unleashed another storm of daggers into the whirlwind prodigy known as Neji Hyuga, putting just enough spin into their trajectories to arc them into the boy from multiple convergent angles. The trickery did little good, however as Neji's high speed spin intercepted every single one of the twelve kunai thrown at him. Each one was deflected by the slightest of touches, ensuring that they went everywhere but their intended targets... 

...much to her relief.

Since the formation of their group, her teammate had insisted she use live blades instead of the wooden ones. She was fine with that on one hand, as it allowed her to practice her specialty with the real thing instead of the wooden practice blades cored with iron. While the weight was right, there were subtle differences that an artist such as herself could discern. On the other hand, she was throwing live blades around. Her accuracy was exceptional enough that Neji would bleed if he missed even one. It wasn't a prospect she looked forward to, but the few times she had attempted to throw toward less than lethal trajectories had been met with classic Hyuga tantrum; that is to say a glare and a cold, cold shoulder.

At some point along the way, she was almost hoping that she'd at least nick him in order to not only get him to realize just how serious throwing live kunai at him was, but to at least validate some portion of her skills. Yesterday's bout with the redhead certainly hadn't helped matters. The girl- her new instructor, no less -had simply laughed at the fact that she had scored a perfect score on the academy final and pretty much did what Neji was doing now... Rendering her hard earned practice a moot point.

The last kunai fell to the ground after flipping through the air and landing point first at the Hyuga's feet. The boy showed no real emotion after such a feat, instead looking at Tenten and saying, "Again."

Tenten shrugged and pulled another salvo from her belt, arraying theblades between the fingers of both hands. Maybe this time she would--

"Tenten!"

The girl turned finding a brick wall of muscles and greenery walking up to her from across the field they had been practicing in. Trailing behind him was far less imposing wall of green, though both sported nearly identical bowl hair cuts. As atrocious a fashion statement as the forest green body suits were, they did make a cute couple in a father-son sort of way and the  
sight managed to coax a full smile from her lips. "Gai-sensei! Lee!"

Upon being noticed, the smaller of the pair ran ahead and quickly grasped her hand, a concerned light dancing in his eyes. "Is it true?!"

"Is... what true?" Tenten backed up slightly under the intensity of Lee's questioning.

"It is, Lee!" Gai, replied with pride. "Tenten will indulging in the fires of youth for an extra two hours a day!"

Lee's already round eyes became even rounder. "Truly an example to aspire to! I shall train with you!"

"Alas, you cannot indulge in _these_ fires of youth." The team's instructor shook his head solemnly. In that time, Neji had walked over, wondering what was impeding his exercises.

"What's this?" The young man questioned, first casting Tenten a skeptical look, then the trembling Lee.

"I'll prove that I'm good enough to train with my glorious team mate, Sensei!" Lee demanded with favored intensity. "I shall double my weights! I'll run another two hundred--!"

"No, my cute apprentice." Gai held out a hand, stopping the Taijitsu specialist. "Tenten's training is for the blooming pedals of feminine adolescence, not the burning fires of manliness !"

Tenten began to glow a bright pink. "You could have just said kunoichi training, sensei."

Lee's face broke out into a silent 'OOOOH' while Neji simply arched an eyebrow. "Indeed."

"Perhaps I shall accompany you," Gai scratched his broad chin in contemplation. "to ensure your new instructor is capable of adequately stoking the fires of youth!"

Lee pumped a fist. "Yosh!"

Neji simply shook his head and walked off as Tenten buried her head in her hands.

* * *

**KaBooM!!**

Tenten cringed as the an explosion rocked the earth a mere thirty meters from her position, showering her with dust and debris after the slap of overpressure washed across her body.

"You missed."

By and large, Tenten could be described as the cheery sort, driven to excel in any given field but harboring no ill will toward anyone in the process. Today, however, was not one of those days as she was currently directing a good deal of ill-will towards a certain redheaded kunoichi instructor.

"STOP THAT!"

Ranma paused in the twirling of the kunai in his hands, an innocent look about her face. This particular kunai bore a flimsy looking piece of square paper tied to the base ring like many of its cousins holstered in the belt straddling her hips. "But I thought you were the hundred out of a hundred girl?"

"Well how can I if you keep tossing those things around!?" The glare the question incited promised to reduce the young martial artist to cinders. The mangled target fifty meters down range had yet to see a solid hit from the girl's kunai, and she had tossed ten out thus far.

"You mean these?" Innocent eyes looked back and her fingers flipped the dagger around once more. Off to the side, Ino took a step back with the careless display, as if their teacher was about to drop the tagged blade at any moment. Hinata chewed on her lip nervously beside her. Ranma smiled easily. "Tell ya what. If you can put ten… No, make that _five_ kunai into that target, I'll stop."

"Really!?"

Ranma nodded benevolently. "Get a head shot and you can skip hand to hand practice."

The odango'd girl's eyes widened. "Just one?"

The redhead looked as if she had other things on her mind, examining her reflection in the steel of the kunai. "Mmmhmm."

Tenten brain took a split second to process her instructors state and spun around on target. it appeared to be a wild spin, but she was her chosen area of specialty and her arms extended out, her left hand snatching five kunai on its way out. Less than a second later the throwing arm came to bear and Tenten smiled impishly. Five kunai on target, one head shot made to—

**BOOM!**

The shockwave crashed through her concentration and the array kunai were released in a staggered mess, two plowing earth ten meters out, one arcing wildly to the right, another to the left and the final dagger was swallowed up by a stray bush on the far side of the range. Pebbles and turf bounced off her head and the girl ground her teeth down glaring evilly at her tormentor.

Ranma wore an astonished look. "Oops."

"DAMMIT!"

The curse echoed across the scarred field known as practice range six and was easily heard by the group of instructors standing watch in the observation booth high above the scene of torture.

"AHAHAHA!" Anko gasped for breath as she watched the Saotome carelessly toss another dagger out marking the ground with another resounding boom and an accompanying crater. "Oh my God, K-chan! This has got to be your best idea EVER!"

Kurenai tore her eyes away from the blossoming cloud of smoke and stared at her friend with wide eyes as she practically wheezed in laughter. There was a hard and fast rule she usually went by concerning the spiky black haired kunoichi… If Anko thought it was a good idea, it probably _wasn't._

"Are you nuts?!" Iruka was also staring now, his cheek twitching. He pointed downrange, shaking. "He… _She's_ going to kill them!"

Gai was watching the spectacle, leaning over the booth railing with curiosity. "While I usually advocate immersing our new graduates in the fires of youth, I have to question the indiscriminant methods by which it is dispensed…"

**BOOOooM!**

Another echo rolled across the practice range, as if to emphasis the point.

"BWAHAHAAHAH!!" Anko cackled leaning into a nearby pillar for support. "I love this kid!"

"It's not your student she's blowing up." Kurenai shook her head as the antics continued below.

"And where the hell did she get all that ordinance anyway?!" Iruka screamed, still shaking. Fortunately, he didn't notice Kurenai's efforts to avoid eye contact.

Meanwhile, Ranma Saotome turned back to her other two students, tucking a tagged kunai into her belt while Tenten sizzled with frustration. "Can either of ya tell me—"

_Thunk thunk thunk!_

"Those don't count." Ranma commented off hand, not even bothering to look at the girl or the three head shots she had just thrown.

"NO FAIR!"

"Like I was sayin', can either of you tell Ten what I'm doing?" Hinata simply looked from the redhead to their sizzling growling teammate and back while Ino actually stared in disbelief for a moment before a sour look descended on her face.

"Well how can she hit anything if you… keep… throwing…" Pale blue eyes widened and a smirk grew across Ranma's face.

The martial artist cocked her head as if trying to hear Ino better. "What was that?"

"You're… You're doing it on purpose!" Ino's jaw dropped as the logic gates in her brain started to connect. "Not just trying to be a sadistic bitch!"

"Wouldn't speak too soon on that one," Ranma commented with a slight chuckle. With only two hours a day, she was going to have to be a sadistic bastard. "But yer right. The question now is 'why'? Hinata?"

The blue haired girls body language seemed to close up when attention focused on her, but Ranma waited patiently. It took a another couple of moments for Hinata to stop shuffling pensively and stutter out an answer. "You… you're distracting her?"

"Very good." Ranma smiled and the girl sighed with relief as attention left her and turned back to Tenten. "First and foremost. Everything I do here is for a reason. I got better things to do than torture little kids—"

"_You're_ a little kid!" Ino fumed, and Ranma ignored her.

"It may seem stupid, weird and like torture, but it's trainin'." The redhead continued, eyeing the odango girl. "keepin' that in mind, why am I tossing firecrackers at ya?"

"You're distracting me." Tenten came to the firm conclusion.

"Why?"

"Because my accuracy is of little use if I get distracted." The girl realized, anger all but evaporating.

"Took a bit, but you finally got it." Ranma nodded, causing a sliver of Tenten's irritation to return. "But unlike like my old man, I'm gonna show you _why_ I'm torturing you." The shorter redhead stepped up to genin while Ino and Hinata. She held out her hands. "See any weapons on me?" Everybody shook their head. the girl had depleted the last kunai on her belt five minutes ago. "Watch."

She stepped up to the line Tenten had been throwing from and adopted one of the many casual stance dictated by anything goes and took a breath. Accuracy wasn't absolutely necessary for the demonstration, but it would help her credibility if she could put most of the kunai in the target… Ranma took a deep breath…

She took a step forward and Tenten nearly stumbled back as her instructor's arms became a literal blur, rapidly followed by the drumming staccato of high speed impacts echoing from across the range. The rapid impacts continued for about four seconds until the redhead stopping moving, a trickle of sweat running down her forehead.

Tenten gaped.

Far off to the right, a red and white robbed elder took off his hat, joining the instructors who were also staring. The girl had just put over fifty kunai into a wooden target at fifty yards with nearly a ninety five percent hit ratio. Iruka turned from the spectacle, noticing Sarutobi's pleasant smile.

"So did I miss anything?"

**BOOM!**

**BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM  
BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM  
BOOMBOOM!!!**

Thunder cracked across the range as fifty tagged kunai detonated nearly simultaneously, turning the target dummy in which they were imbedded into a sheet of hellish flame, utterly ripping it and the surrounding landscape apart in a maelstrom of violent fire. The initial wash of devastation expended itself after a minute, leaving little of the strike zone but jagged, smoldering real estate.

The Hokage simple stared as thick black smoke poured into the sky. "Guess not."

Back on Practice range six, Ranma blinked, whipping the sweat from her brow. That had actually gone better than expected. She turned back to Tenten and found the girl… froze. Ranma was about to snap her fingers in front of the zombie-girls face when her head turned towards her sensei her lips finally moving of their own accord.

"I'll never question your training again, master."

Ranma snorted with amusement at the worshipping tone the words had been spoken it. "Aw, sure ya will." She turned back to the similarly awed Ino and Hinata. "Now it's your guys' turn."

The words didn't even register as the pair simply stared into the burning crater downrange.

* * *

_**BOOM!**_

_**BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM  
BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM  
BOOMBOOM!!!**_

Naruto's head whipped around as the bassy thunder staggered through the forest, sending wildlife to scatter in every direction. The blond stood dumbfounded for a moment, his current mission temporarily forgotten. _What the hell was that?!_ His mind whirled as he stared into the direction of the rolling thunder. _Something… exploded?_ Of course, chasing that damn cat for Mrs. Tanaka had taken him off the beatin' track when Sakura had suggested they all split up and work a spiral outward from the pet's last known location and the only thing out on his end of the search was a bunch off woods, grass and… and the practice range less than two kilometers away! His eyes widened with realization.

They must be doing something really, _really_ cool down there!

Any thought of finding the wayward feline instantly evaporated as the orange jacket clad boy raced through the forest, quickly encountering the range fence and vaulting over its length. There were a total of nine ranges on the property he now transverse, but only one of them mattered… The one with thick black smoke rolling away from it.

Naruto wound his way through the thinning foliage, opting to avoid the main paths lest his presence be discovered before he had a chance to learn what the nins were doing. After all, whatever super cool moves they were practicing probably weren't meant for the prying eyes of students, especially students that just happened to be demon containers. The normally loud genin crept along the ridge of a small hill, his eyes flicking left to right in an occasional bid to avoid detection, but always returned to the angry cloud drifting skyward. The student ninja pushed the brush from his position overlooking the practice range and took the scene in, first finding the instructors he knew watching from the observation booth.

_Iruka-sensei, Kurenai, some other woman… Gai sensei…_ Naruto blinked. _Even the old man! _Blue eyes continued to scan the scene, following the cratered and thoroughly trashed field. _Four girls. That blonde friend of Sakura-chan's… Hinata… one of Gai-sensei's students… All fighting that girl with red—_

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

* * *

"Again, 'Nata." 

Hinata Hyuga's frown deepened as she shuffled before her red-headed instructor pensively. "But…"

"No buts." Ranma retorted imperiously. "Try it again."

"Dammit! My brain hurts!" Ino exclaimed irritable, clutching the side of her head as if it were throbbing in pain. In reality, it was. Tenten winced, was more than happy to sit the lesson out after her bout with their diminutive instructor.

The martial artist shrugged without a care to the girl's plight. "You know the rules. 'Nata hits me, you get a break." A condescending smirk spread across her face. "I'd be helpin' her out as much as possible if I were ya."

Ino burned a glare into the girl, then turned on Hinata. "Hinata! Kick her ass!"

The shy nin looked from her teammate to her new instructor, who seemingly stood idly by waiting. The reality of that stance was much different, as all three knew by now that the redhead's unprepared posture was far from it. Hinata didn't want to hit her new instructor. Heck, she didn't want to hit _anybody_, but it seemed to be the only option if she was to provide Ino any respite from _her_ lesson. With that thought firmly in mind, the dark blue haired girl spun on her instructor, attempting to force a finger into her abdomen in a bid to end the conflict quickly. True to form, however, Ranma hopped just out of reach with a smirk and engaged her directly by throwing her own- albeit lazy –attacks back at her.

The punches and kicks were easily deflected by somebody of Hinata's speed, but the sheer volume ensured she remained on the defensive. Ranma pressed forward, forcing the girl back under a barrage of punches, kicks and an absolute wall of confidence.

Hinata, however, wasn't the only one frowning.

_Dammit, hit me!_ Ranma growled mentally as she pressed the girl before. Sure, she was throwing a hailstorm off attacks at the shy girl, but—Pressure increased on the Saotome's mind suddenly and she was shoved aside, forcibly relinquishing conscious control of her own body. _Bout damn time_, she snorted, recognizing the telltale affects of Ino's bloodline. The result wasn't subtle. Ranma's form immediately developed a massive hole as the blonde took control of her body… And was promptly kicked out as her instructor overrode the manipulation, riding over Ino's conscious on tidal wave of confidence and willpower.

"OW!" The mental battle was over in under a second, and Ino found herself reeling as if she had received a physical kick to the head. The exclamation caused Ranma to smile wider, but the perverse joy of kicking her student out in such a painful manner was dulled by the fact that Hinata hadn't taken the opening it offered.

_She's got skill in spades, but no instinct whatsoever_, Ranma groused as she quickly tightened up her form and resumed her offensive, this time ensuring a few hits found their way past Hinata's guard. The girl would feel the hits, but no lasting damage was done. _Maybe if I can get her mad, she'll—_

"WHAT THE HELL!?"

Ranma spun around at the sudden exclamation and Hinata nearly tripped over herself, tagging sensei's shoulder by sheer chance. Her instructor rocked with the punch, but barely felt it, both surprised as a blond haired boy with spiky bangs burst from the tree line behind him. Even Ino and Tenten were staring now as the boy closed on them with wide blue eyes.

"Uh… hehehehe…" Hinata developed a deep blush, barely managing to maintain eye contact with Naruto. "Hi, Naruto-kun."

"What the heck is _he_ doing here!?" Ino growled, already in a bad mood from the migraine thrumming through her cerebellum. Tenten wisely kept her mouth shut, responding with a simple shrug.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Naruto Uzumaki accused, ignoring the other girls entirely in favor of confronting the red head. "How could you teach them something super cool and not me?!"

Ranma simply shook her head. "Sorry 'Ruto. Girls only."

The boy blinked, digesting the information and the fact that his friend's current accompaniment were female as well. Given those facts, his brain bridged the gap from 'a' to 'b' in a most unorthodox manner. "SEXY NO JUTSU!"

_BONK!_

Ranma's fist bounced off the blonde haired girl's skull in a comedic manner, dispelling the illusion outright almost as soon as it was manifest. "_Real_ girls. Take a hike."

Silence reigned for a moment before the dam burst.

"Oh yeah?! Well if you can do it, so can I!" The boys gaze narrow sharply at the rebuke for a moment before accepting the challenge with bravado. Ranma arched an eyebrow as the boy took a stance suddenly. Another rebuke was about to fall from the martial artists lips when the spike of power flashed around him and an angry red glow erupted around the boy.

_What the--?!_ Ranma fought the impulse to take a step back as a wave of angry, dark power began to suffocate the area around her part time student, while his blue eyes shown with fierce determination. _What the heck does the kid think he's doing?! He doesn't need to prove--!_

"**AAHHHHHAAAaaaARRR!!**" The red aura began to boil around the boy violently and this time, Ranma heeded his instincts, and took the step back, while his other students had already taken several. They all watched now with a look that straddled the line between incredulity and panic.

"Na-Naruto-kun!"

Hinata's concern went unheard as the build up continued until it reached an impossible peak, where upon raw chakra was released into open air. "MINAKO NO JUTSU!"

Red tendrils of power burst forth then arced back inward, turning upon their host and feeding back upon their wielder, lashing in to Naruto's orange clad form while causing the boy to writhe in agony. The blond began to distort under the bombardment, bathed in an ethereal glow of damning power that seemed intent on forcibly reshaping his body in the most painful way possibly. Even as Ranma contemplated intervening, the red trails died away, evaporating into the air to let the boy fall to his knees, panting. Beneath them, the ground smoldered from being scorched.

Ranma stepped forward to help the boy up, but halted barely a foot from him. There were differences. His body was thinner. His hair, longer. Shinier. Singed orange clothing hung differently from his frame. It all pointed to something Ranma Saotome, heir to the anything goes school of martial arts and Jusenkyo victim was intimately familiar with.

"What—What did he do?" Tenten asked, curiosity overriding the trepidation Naruto's raw display of power had produced

Hinata's eyes shown bright with concern from beside her. "Naruto… kun?"

Naruto Uzumaki struggled to push himself off the ground as pain resonated through his bones. There was a definite reason for the way his clothes fit now. Naruto was nearly an inch shorter, and indeed did have longer hair, sans the spikes. His arms and legs had lost mass. His hips and chest had gained ample curvature, while his face…

Ino's cheek twitched. "He's… he's….!"

The blond neo-girl revealed a tired, defiant grin. "I… I told you… I could do it. Now you… have to train me!"

Ranma walked up to Naruto and unzipped his jacket, revealing exactly what she had expect to find… two breasts every bit as well developed as her own. Real breasts. Not a conjured jutsu. The… the idiot duplicate her curse?! How in the hell? She shook it off, and stared. A girl stared back at him, but she could see it in her eyes. Naruto.

_But I'm Ranma all the time, regardless of the body…_

The thought prompted the slightest smile to escape her lips as she recognized the closest thing to a kindred soul she had known since acquiring the curse. No doubt she'd be catching all the blame for this particular stunt, but…

"Sure. Why the hell not."

* * *

**Author's Notes:  
**10.8kw. A little short of my normal length, but a decent sized chapter. Still indecisive on the fiancées, as I'm continuously swayed in one direction or the other. Yeah, sooner or later I'll have to decide, but like Trimatter says, let the characters decide. This will also be the first time I'm implemented the 'Compare and Merge Documents' feature, likewise the 'Track Changes' feature in Word. Seems decently helpful. Hopefully it didn't cause too much harm this time around. 

**Ribald Barterman**; _Yep, that's not an Asian name. But then, neither is Shampoo. Laugh and pretend you got the joke. ;)_

**Minako no Kitsune**; _Naruto is well known throughout the series as the loud ninja that manages the impossible; at very least, the improbably. Likewise, he has a kitsune inside of him, possibly conferring not only power, but the ability and nature of a kitsune as well. Besides destroying anime villages, they are renowned shape shifters, and given the right motivations, Naruto has shown his ability to tap 9t to the point where he begins to gain his characteristics. _

I'd be remiss not to mention works by both **MageOhki **and **Fosfor** both of which helped (unwittingly) turn what was a harmless plotling into something more annoying versus the causal adventurer (in other words, a four hit dice creature). Look for their works on Teh Fanfiction Forum. I'll post a link on my ffnet page since doing the dot-dot thing here proved too annoying in the past.

**Special thanks** to **Wargiver, MageOhki, Trimatter, Amy** and **Materia Blade, **likewise** Metroidvania **for editing services rendered.


	7. Chapter 7

**Tales of the Foxcat**  
Chapter 7  
_By Ozzallos _

**S**arutobi gazed upon the two children before him, the faintest wisps of smoke floating between himself and the youngsters. One had red hair, blue eyes and seemed to have a knack for turning everything they knew about chakra on its ear.That was Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, aqua transsexual, and foreign to village of the Leaf. The other was well known as a trouble maker and a prankster. She had blonde hair, similarly blue eyes and was the resident demon container. The red head was a container as well, but the Raiju within her hardly rated the same concern. All of this was fine in the Hokage's humble opinion, save one crucial point…

…Naruto Uzumaki generally wasn't female.

Naruto certainly hadn't been _born_ one. Sarutobi had been there for the child's birth and watched him grow up in the village. A girl? Definitely not. But here he stood. As a she. _As real the one next to her, which isn't saying much_, Sarutobi snorted mentally. Ranma hadn't been born a girl either, but her condition was apparently as infectious as the chaos that flowed about her.

The Third Hokage of Konoha allowed both girls to squirm a moment long under his gaze before sighing, motioning for both to take a seat across from him. He had seen what had happened on the field. It had been the nine tail's chakra that had wrought the change, but the mechanics by which it occurred were still a mystery.

"Once more, from the beginning," Sarutobi returned to the topic of his current consternation patiently. "What exactly happened here?"

Both girls looked at one another. Ranma shrugged and took the initiative for her newest student. "He made a shadow clone. I think."

The Elder opposite of them arched a brow. "No shadow clone does this." He focused on Naruto directly. "Please explain."

The blonde hesitated for a moment as all eyes focused on her, which included not only the Hokage and Ranma, but Kurenai, Iruka, Gai, and Anko standing behind her. Naruto collected herself in that moment and explained. "Ranma is right. I was trying for a shadow clone."

"But what good would that—" Iruka immediately jumped on the point, only to be called to silence by Sarutobi's raised hand in a bid towards restraint.

The girl answered anyway. "Ranma's body is real, and shadow clones are the closest thing to real I've got, so I made one like I usually do…"

Naruto hesitated and the Hokage leaned forward, casting a piercing gaze on Naruto. "Annnd…?"

"And wrapped myself in it."

Sarutobi blinked. Ranma's head pivoted, her blue eyes wide. The adults at his back were in a similar state, but Iruka broke first. "YOU WHAT?!" Naruto cringed with the screech at his back, as did Ranma to a lesser degree. "Of all the irresponsible, brain dead--!"

"Even so…" Kurenai sidestepped the chewing Naruto was now receiving to converse with Sarutobi directly. "Aside from the fact that he shouldn't have been able to so to begin with, it remains that a shadow clone technique wouldn't have wrought this level of change."

The Third Hokage set his pipe aside, allowing it to smolder while considering the blond girl. "But a demon would." Iruka's rampage stopped suddenly and the room's focus shifted accordingly. "Specifically, a nine-tailed _kitsune_."

"A shape shifter." Anko realized, stating the fact decisively.

Sarutobi nodded gravely. "A _consummate_ shape shifter. The ability is in their blood… And apparently young Naruto's as well."

"Then why was it so damn painful?" The girl grumbled, staring at her hands as if she had never seen them before, a fact that wasn't too far from the truth. They were, small, more delicate versions of what they had been less than an hour ago.

"And why can't he change back?" Ranma wondered aloud with his compatriot. "Already splashed him with hot and cold water on the way over."

"Despite of appearances, Naruto didn't duplicate your curse, Ranma." The Hokage elaborated, folding his hands o his chin and leaning into them until only his aged eyes could be seen. "What we see here is a form that can be altered at will. As for the pain, I would not expect the prisoner to give up power to his jailor so willingly."

"So I can change back then?"

"Undoubtedly." The Village leader nodded the blonde girl. "Assuming you can either develop the skills to wield the foxes power as your own or convince it to give you the power willingly."

"I'll master the power in no time fl—" Naruto's now ample chest puffed out with bravado, only to have it cut down by an instructor behind him.

"You're not even close yet." Anko stated, only to find the blonde's feminine blue eyes staring right back at her.

"Don't underestimate me!"

The instructor rolled her eyes at the teen righteous indignation. "Stuff it, squirt."

Naruto stiffened. "Old hag!"

"_What_ did you say?" Anko's gaze narrowed dangerously on the neo girl as she leaned into her space, snarling. "Say that _again_."

The blonde answered the by going nose to nose with the nin, who snarled back. Sarutobi let a strained sigh forth. "Ladies."

The unexpected gender reference caused Naruto to stiffen suddenly while Anko simply snorted with disgust, turning away from the girl. The Hokage turned his full attention to the younger of the pair, taking a drag from his long pipe before getting fully down to business. "You will, of course, attempt to dispel the technique. Failing that, I'm sure Ranma would be more than willing to help you… adapt."

The thin red line of Ranma's eyebrow arched skeptically while the elder continued, now addressing the remainder of the group. "In any case, Naruto is still Naruto and his… _her_ training will continue..." The Hokage looked about the small group. "I would assume that Kakashi is indisposed?"

"God only knows." Anko mumbled under her breath_. Probably engrossed in that soft porn he insist__s__ on toting around every mission…_

"Then it would appear as if he is in for a bit of a surprise." A slight smile crept across Sarutobi's aged lips. "But unless there is anything else, I think I've kept my three o'clock waiting long enough." He singled Naruto's partner out, however. "A moment, Saotome."

The group took the dismissal as their cue to leave, though Ranma remained rooted in place, considering the old man before her. Naruto paused as well, noticing her friend hanging behind. The red head shrugged at her friend. "I'll catch up."

Naruto nodded and was gone with rest of the adults, leaving the martial arts heir and village head alone. The silence lingered for a moment before Sarutobi broke it gently. "He may not be able to change back."

It was both a statement and a question, to which Ranma acknowledged with a faint nod.

"Had a talk with my very own village elder back when." She began with a stoic demeanor that was totally at odds with her generally outgoing personality. "If he did it right, there ain't much that's going to break the effect. Something about blood magic, if I remember right."

"Blood indeed invokes powerful forces, as does the being within him." The Hokage nodded sagely. "Demons are not to be taken lightly. Unless he can master its power…"

Ranma produced her own solemn nod in turn. Unless the kid could master the demon's power, he'd be in be facing the same fate she'd stared down too many times to count. Even so, Naruto was also in a decidedly better position than herself… His cure was locked _within_, not scattered across the four corners of the earth in a bid to utterly break him mentally and physically. _Sure would be nice to have a shape changin' demon inside of _my_ belly,_ Ranma groused mentally, considering the dilemma_. Would sure make things a lot—_

A key fact clicked into place for the Saotome child. "My curse has been actin' up."

"Odd, considering Raiju are not natural shape shifters." The Hokage commented, immediately picking up on Ranma's train of thought while stroking the white hairs growing along his chin. "A collision of magics between the seal and your curse would be the most obvious culprit. Had I known…"

"Beats the hell outta me." Ranma shook her head, but couldn't help but to feel hopeful. The girl cracked a smile with the thought. "But I'll be damned if Naruto is the only one cured when it's all said and done."

* * *

**K**akashi Hatake looked over his students with an expression that emoted thinly veiled boredom. The expression itself was crafted from years of practice, conveying not simply an emotional void, but an expression that said its owner was simply bored with life in general. Before him on the stone bench sat Sasuke, whose own emotions managed to radiate not just boredom, but dejection, as he and the pink haired girl beside him waiting. 

And waiting.

And waiting.

The mission objective was simple. Track down and capture Mrs. Tanaka's cat, return the feline and turn the mission in. The reality of the operation was equally simple, as it allowed his team to cut their teeth on the very basics of being a ninja—tracking, target acquisition and persecution. Of course, the cat in question would skip the latter phase of the operation and be safely delivered to Mrs. Tanaka without a scratch, only to be purposely let loose again for the next team to track down.

The one eyed nin suppressed a chuckle. Even _he_ remembered tracking down that damn cat, or at very least one of its cousins. The chuckle failed to reach his visible facial features, however. Far be it from him to show any amusement when the mission was incomplete.

"Meow!"

Sakura gave the cat in her lap an absent scratch behind its ears as it butted her arm with its head in a bid for attention. She favored the creature with a brief smile as it purred in her lap before she lapsed back into the grumpy frown her face held only moments before.

"Just where did that idiot run off to this time? It's not like he could get lost out there!"

Sasuke nodded with the sentiment, even if he failed to show the outward emotion that his teammate was displaying. The mission parameters were crystal clear: Track down the cat, capture it unharmed and return to the rendezvous point. There was a minor wrinkle in the math, however, as their normally three man team was down one, thus preventing the mission from being complete.

"Sensei! Please reconsider!"

A single eye moved from the pink bound book he was focused and onto a pink head of hair framing pleading blue eyes. The lips beneath the dark mask seemed to form into a smile, giving Sakura hope that they could end this farce.

"No."

Her frame went limp with disappointment.

"Didn't seem to matter much when you left him tied to a rock…" Sasuke commented beneath his breath, but the missive was caught by Kakashi's astute hearing.

"The difference there is that _I_ didn't _lose_ a member of _my_ team." The sensei stressed calmly, ablating Sasuke's stony gaze back into the earth. Kakashi's, on the other hand, swept from him to the Sakura. "Or hasn't that sunken in yet?"

The pink haired girl gulped with the redress as the single eye returned back to its book in silence. It remained there for the next few minutes of uncomfortable silence, shifting left and right ever so slightly as it sifted the contents before another minute passed and a small chuckle escaped his lips. Both students looked up at him irritably as they watched him read the newest volume in his literary hobby, "Icha Icha Revolution".

Suddenly the eye stilled and flicked up, scanning the area. _Civilian, civilian, civilian shapely redheaded gender changing martial artist, blonde hottie, civilian…_ Kakashi paused in his search, immediately spotting that which had tickled his senses. Ranma, he immediately recognized. The crimson teen girl was hard to miss in a crowd. The blonde on her left, however…

Kakashi blinked. Then blinked again. _The blonde couldn't be…_ The Team Seven lead was half tempted to pull up the remainder of his mask to reveal the transplanted Sharingan eye just to confirm what he was actually seeing. Naruto pulling pranks under the guise of a female in blonde odangos wasn't exactly a new sight, especially for those ANBU tasked with keeping tabs on the boy. Heck, it was almost a rite of passage in their ranks to have new recruits be 'accidentally' exposed to the proxy's nude figure at least once, amusing the veterans to no end.

The sight before him was unusual in more ways than one, however. First, _this_ Naruto was fully clothed, easily recognizable in his trademark orange jacket and pants, both articles of clothing all the more baggy on the female form. Then there was the hair. Unlike the yellow streamers his illusion usually sported, this hair was a wild spiky mane that flowed down her back in a style that closer matched that of her male form.

Kakashi watched as the pair walked toward them from across the park, noting not only the chatter the pair were engaged in, but just how carefully Naruto was taking his steps. He wasn't entirely certain yet, but a feeling of uncertainty began to wash down his spine, much like the one he had felt when watching Ranma change for the first time.

_The curse couldn't possibly be contagious, could it?_

Like instructor, Sasuke was now focused on the pair as well, still ambling toward them from over half a park away. His initial reaction differed slightly, however. The bothersome redhead, he recognized immediately._Bothersome, but skilled_, he amended silently. Next to her was the blonde, who was also quite attractive and equally well endowed in spite of the baggy orange… Nobody noticed the boy pale suddenly, then turn a shade of green.

"That—that idiot!" Sasuke bolted upright, twitching as the full portent of his traitorous thoughts slammed home.

Sakura's head whipped from her ill looking teammate to the focus of his attention, finding the redheaded witch for herself, then the blonde next to her. _That girl and Naruto in that stupid jutsu again! What the hell was she doing to him, turning him into a pervert?!_

The cat jumped from her lap and disappeared into the park foliage as she stood up, her simmering irritation from having to wait for over a half and hour boiling over into full blown anger. Unlike Sasuke's exclamation, hers was clearly heard across the park. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, BAKA?!"

Ranma stopped as the words triggered an intense wave of deja'vu, leaving her blinking. Naruto cringed beside her, feeling the full force of Sakura's fury as the girl stomped over, a vein bulging from her forehead and fist clenched tightly.

"We've been waiting here forever just to finish the mission, and you've been practicing that perverted jutsu again?!" The fist came up as she closed on the blonde, then down with force. "Idiot!"

_BONK!_

"Ow!"

Kakashi almost wasn't surprised at what he saw. Sasuke just continued to stare, likewise expecting his enraged teammate to dispel the illusion though physical violence. Sakura blinked as well, expecting a poof of smoke and a male Naruto to appear in front of her. Instead, the wild hair blonde remained, wincing melodramatically with the blow.

Sakura watched in a state of semi-shock as Naruto maintained the form, rubbing the slight know now forming on her hair while Ranma leaned in close whispering, "And you have thing for this violent tomboy?"

Blue-gray eyes suddenly widened and Sakura's head turned mechanically onto the redhead, cheek twitching. "What was that?!"

"Yer provin' my point." Ranma deadpanned, only to illicit a low growl from the girl. In the meantime, Kakashi had stepped up beside Sakura, eyeing Naruto curiously. His hand reached out to confirm just how real the girl was.

_Squeezy-Squeezy_

Naruto's attention was instantly drawn from the argument in progress to the uncomfortable feeling at her chest. Even the arguing going on next to her stalled as both Ranma and Sakura watched the Team Seven sensei verify the authenticity of Naruto's charms. It took another squeeze before Naruto's brain connected two and two and slapped Kakashi's hand away with pink faced embarrassment. "Pervert!"

"They're… real." The instructor comment with an edge of disbelief, his tone's full surprise muted somewhat by practiced boredom. Sasuke joined the group now, trying desperately to feign disinterest while Kakashi retracted his hand. There was no doubt that even through the baggy clothing that there was a girl beneath. "Do I even want to ask how?"

"Training accident." Ranma cut in before Naruto could have a chance to dig them any holes.

_We need more training accidents that turn trouble making demon containers into curvy girls_, Kakashi mused internally while wondering exactly what had transpired behind the purposely vague answer. Instead of addressing the evasion directly, the instructor turned to more pressing issues, turning to Naruto directly. "And the results of this 'training accident'… turned you into a girl?"

The girl nodded silently. Sasuke and Sakura continued to stare, prompting the neo-girl to add hastily, "But I'm still Naruto!"

Silence reigned regardless for another moment until Sasuke let a contemptuous snort loose. "Feh. Useless."

Blue eyes narrowed sharply as the blond burnt the Uchiha down with a glare. "And what's that supposed to mean!?"

Sasuke turned his back to the girl in dismissal. "Only you would learn such a worthless technique."

Naruto's eyes widened, and she lurched forward with the insult, growling. "I'll kick your ass with this worthless technique!"

Sasuke turned around to face the threat, only to be startled by the thunderhead of female emotion charging at him. A portion of his brain had absorbed the new information, but the majority was still expecting a blond boy to challenge him. Righteous feminine fury, however, was nowhere on menu, causing Sasuke to flinch back at the sudden attack.

The instinctive flinch was something well within Naruto's ability to compensate for under normal circumstances, save the fact that circumstances were far from normal and he was, in fact, a girl. The initial punch blazed in, threatening to send a vicious right cross into the Uchiha prodigies face, but her balance was all wrong. Naruto's chest was now top heavy. Her muscle structure was different and her reaction times were off, all of which made it pathetically easy to for Sasuke to dodge, even in his surprised state as Naruto stumbled past.

The blond girl stumbled past, missing her rival's face by a country mile. Sasuke's shock was short lived, his face adopting a condescending smirk. "Truly pathetic… Naruto-_chan_."

Naruto recovered from her critical miss and snarled and prepared to his attack when Ranma called out her name, causing her to stop abruptly. The blonde's fuming anger turned on the redhead. "What?!"

"Don't even bother." Ranma smirked in spite of the serious atmosphere. "I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn the first time I changed either."

Naruto's mood abruptly shifted and the anger began to evaporate as quickly as it had manifest itself. She held her sensei with curious blue eyes, Sasuke all but forgotten now. "Really?"

"Yep." Ranma confirmed, poking at the various parts of her anatomy. "Weight distribution is all wrong. Ya got different muscles, and hell, even the wiring up here is different."

"Wait. _Your_ first time?" Sakura latched onto the key fact, staring first at Ranma, then Naruto and finally back to Ranma. "Are you saying that you… you…"

Ranma sighed at the prospect of once again demonstrating her curse, but snatched the canteen from folded space anyway and flashed it with ki to bring it up to the right temperature. The cap was unscrewed a moment later and Sakura's eyes bulged as the annoying redhead was swallowed up by a black haired, blue eyed masculine frame before her very eyes. The realization that she wasn't looking at a jutsu hit Sakura in full, causing her to simply boggle at the martial artist. Even Sasuke stared, finally having been able to watch the change in its entirety; that is to say not obscured by the physical pain from their last meeting.

Sakura's disbelief was only checked for a moment before her face scrunched with irritation and realization. "You!"

"Me?"

"You!" The pink haired girl reaffirmed harshly. "_You're_ the one teaching him that perverted jutsu!"

This time it was Ranma afflicted by a moment of incredulity and yet more deja'vu. _She's like a pink haired Akane clone… _The moment passed and disdain for the girl before him washed across his psyche. This was one girl he wasn't attached to in any way, shape or form.

"_I'm_ the pervert now? Who's the girl pining over the Sas kid here?"

"I --! You--!" The pink haired girl sputtered and stalled, only to have her protest fade as the black hair boy seemed to spontaneously melt back into a busty redheaded girl. Everybody stared as Ranma seemed to adopt a curious look, one that vanished as irritation returned to the girl before her.

Naruto gaped. _The change had occurred without the water! _THAT was the technique he needed!

"And speakin' of which," She continued in frosty humor, "You haven't been having any ecchi thoughts about him now, have you?"

All eyes turned from the red haired girl to the pink haired one whose gaping expression was nearly as pink as her hair. "No! I would never--!"

The feeble protest was far from convincing, and Ranma was about to ruthlessly capitalize on the opening before being interrupted with an 'ahem' from Kakashi. "Saotome?"

Ranma eyed the bored looking ninja, acknowledging the silent plea for restrain with a shrug. Kakashi then turned to the thoroughly embarrassed girl. "You might want to reconsider how you address special team thirteen's sensei, Sakura-chan."

"She's… what!? How!?" His words had the desired reaction as the girl's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"Regardless," Kakashi ignored Sakura's blithering. "Bloodlines come in all shapes and sizes. If you're lucky, your abilities manifest themselves in some innocuous form like the Uchiha and Hyuga line's eyes. All things considered, changing genders is a rather benign manifestation."

…_However awkward such an ability may be_, he added silently. It wasn't horribly difficult to imagine just what sort of situations such an ability would land its bearer in, and it was apparently a sore topic with Konoha's newest ninja if his… her reaction to Sakura was any indication.

"A special team?" Sasuke inserted in the following silence, looking the boy-turned-girl over doubtfully.

"A kunoichi team." Kakashi clarified. "Its formation marks a return to Konoha's program of specialized training. Tenten, Ino and Hinat—"

"INO!?" Sakura blurted incredulously. "How did SHE get special training and not me!?"

"Maybe cuz' she doesn't have a terminal case of—"

"AHEM." Kakashi forcefully interrupted Ranma's follow-on verbal salvo. "Ninja teams are traditionally three man groups. If I had to make a guess, Tenten takes on the role of ranged fire support, Hinata close combat and Ino, infiltration."

Sakura's shoulders slumped with the explanation. Not only was she missing out on training that would make her Sasuke-kun sit up and take notice, it even made sense. But it was the redheaded witch teaching them though? The group composition made sense, much as she hated to admit it. This girl being in charge of them _didn't_. The thoughts raced through her mind as she watched the girl retrieve the canteen once more from what looked like thing air and douse herself once more, growing back into an admittedly handsome, if somewhat short boy her age.

"Tell me how you did that!" Naruto demanded as Ranma reverted back to his birth gender with the still warm water of the canteen.

"Already told ya," Ranma returned. "Warm water boy, cold water—"

"No! Before that!" Naruto shook her head emphatically. The motion did wonderfully distracting things to her breasts. It took both Kakashi and Sasuke willpower to break the spell, leaving the instructor to reminisce and the student feeling all the more irritated that he was now powerless to ignore the blond slacker. "You just changed without water!"

"Oh, that." Ranma realized the thrust of his friend's excitement. "The old man thinks its magic screwin' with magic. Still ain't got a handle on it yet myself, but…"

"But?" Naruto hung on every word.

"But I think I got an idea." The boy concluded, but moved quickly to ensure Naruto didn't get his hopes too high. "Even if I'm right, doesn't mean it'll work for you."

Sasuke had been taking in the entire conversation as an aura of disgust welled up in him. It wasn't the technique itself. Kakashi was right… Bloodlines came in all shapes and sizes and he knew first hand their pleasant exteriors didn't necessarily reflect what was on the inside. No, it was his reactions to the technique that were most… disturbing. Mentally, he knew the blonde was Naruto.

Unfortunately, his eyes and certain aspects of his physiology didn't. Likewise, his—her new friend was similarly afflicted with a more fluid version of the distracting technique, confusing his physiology even further… _But hers is a bloodline…? _It would have been an intriguing question if it wasn't affecting him so deeply. On one hand the redhead was as attractive as they came, on the other…Sasuke gritted his teeth looking for an outlet. He couldn't necessarily vent on the special team sensei, especially when said sensei had already demonstrated just how effortless it was to kick his ass, but Naruto, however, was still fair game.

"Not that he could learn something so complicated anyway." He inserted with cool arrogance as his emotional outlet identified an easy target. "He's was last in his class for a reason."

"What!?" Sasuke blanched once more as feminine fury was once more directed in his direction. "I changed once, I'll do it again!"

"Mmhmm." Sasuke returned turning his back to the girl as if she were beneath his notice. "Whatever."

"Just you watch!" Naruto shot back and took a stance. The ambient power around the group spiked abruptly as

"Dammit, he's gonna do it again." Ranma frowned but took a step back. There was no doubt what Naruto was about to do would be painful as hell for him, but who was he to stop the kid from proving the Sas kid wrong? Besides, the blond reminded him too much of himself at times—Stubborn and absolutely driven when faced with a challenge. If it was worth doing, pain meant nothing to him and he could see his friend was built from the same stuff.

The remainder of their group didn't take heed of Ranma's words until an angry red aura began to crawl across the blonde girl's skin, snapping out at the air around him like angry claws as it built in strength. Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke stared transfixed by the display of raw power for a moment before following Ranma's cue and stepping back themselves. The stone scorching at Naruto's feet might have had something to do with it as well as well as the fact that despite the obvious exertion, the boy-turned-girl refused to break eye contact with his rival.

"Naruto…!"

"AHHHHHHAAAARRRR!!!" Kakashi's concern went unheard as the angry, tainted power began to build and Naruto's own pupils began to elongate into feral slits. "I…. will… change …. BACK!"

The red aura suddenly bubbled violently around the boy and Ranma immediately knew something had gone wrong as it fed back upon its invoker. Naruto tried to resist as lines of power racked her skin, but she had called too much, too fast and it didn't like what she was doing with it. Naruto's upbringing had gifted her with a high pain tolerance, but even she could only take so much before breaking as total agony filled her being.

The last thing she saw was a black hair martial artist rushing towards her as black claimed her consciousness.

* * *

**P**ain. 

The world was made of pain.

At least Naruto's world was made of pain. Less so now that the blackness had claimed him, but it was like tiny razor blades were still coursing through his veins. In fact, if his disembodied consciousness were any judge, there was much more painful than his last attempt, which said quite a bit. His tolerance for said pain was unusually high for a boy his age, but rolling around naked in salted glass was pretty the top end of that.

"Wake up."

The words blew through his psyche like a hot breeze, jarring him from his pain-ridden contemplation. _Wake up. As if_. _As if I'm going back to that wonderful world of pain._

"Wake up, NOW."

_When I'm damn well good and ready._ Naruto snorted, ignoring the dark tones demanding his return to consciousness. Right now sleep was sounding like a very good option. No voices, no pain, no—

"WAKE UP BEFORE I FILLET THE GRAY MATTER BETWEEN YOUR EARS, BRAT."

Naruto's eyes instantly popped open with the booming threat that rumbled through his brain like thunder. The unknown voice had definitely surprised him. Where he found himself upon regaining conscious surprised him even more. The atmosphere was heavy with tangible despair as the girl's blue eyes wandered around the space she now occupied; a dark, foreboding cave occupied by sharp rock and long shadows. Those same blue eyes were inevitably drawn to her feet and the massive symbol etched into the stone floor. The intricately carved icon and its overlapping concentric circles inspired nothing but dread within him as he mentally traced every line and the foreign script accompanying it.

"Boy."

Naruto blinked as the word hissed around him, echoing off of the cavernous walls of what he could only assume was a wild dreamscape. He pulled his attention away from the lines and circles and found the cavern stretch into shadows before him… And bars. Thick, heavy gauge bars stretch from the rock and earthen floor to the arch of the caverns. The sight made Naruto shiver as tangible waves of negativity seems to flow from the barred entrance like a current. She was about to work up the nerve to approach the barrier when two red slits- eyes –suddenly began to glow in the darkness. Naruto froze as the eyes and negativity suddenly focused on her person with overwhelming force.

"Hello… _Kit_."

The greeting reverberated on and around him, it's growling malice clearly communicating the owner's killing intent. That fact alone caused Naruto to reverse the step he had intended to take forward. Still, there was little doubt as to who the eyes belonged to. "You're… you're…"

"Yes," A rumbling chuckle filled the air at the girl's quavering voice. The beast slowly stepped out of the shadows of its prison, confirming Naruto's worst fears. It was giant, sleek red fox. The nine tails of legends. The destroyer of Konoha. "Yes I _am_."

It was another moment before the awed girl found her voice again, pointing to the monster itself. "What… what are you doing here!?"

"Plotting your gruesome demise." The demon menaced, bearing its fangs clearly. "_I'm_ here because I was sealed within your bowels by one supremely annoying biped, but the question you should _really_ be asking is why are _you_ here?"

"I… uh…" Reflecting on it, Naruto decided it was actually a pretty good question. Why exactly was he in a cave housing a demonic prison? It didn't take a genius to realize that he was unconscious and the thing before him felt much to real to be a dream, so what was going on? Then there was the thing on the floor that looked exactly like— Naruto's head snapped up. "The seal!"

"Not as stupid as you look." The giant fox chortled darkly. "Your pathetic attempt to draw upon my power has brought you here, unexpected as it may be."

"Your power…" Naruto's visage gained a far away look, before jumping to the next logical conclusion. "You can change me back!"

"I could…" The demon's growling bass drawled. "…But I won't."

"WHAT!?" Naruto exploded with indignation, retaking the ground she had surrendered to fear a moment ago. "Dammit, Fox! I'm a guy! Change me back!"

"HAHAHAH!" The demon's laughter boomed across the cavern. "Or what? What could you possibly do to convince me to relinquish my powers for you to use once more?"

"I'll… I'll…"

"Admittedly, you did catch me off guard the first time," The giant Kitsune continued, ignoring the boy's bluster. "But then I realized exactly what it was you were trying to do and decided to indulge your insolence."

This stopped Naruto cold. _The demon helped me…? But why? And…_ "Then why won't you help me change back?!"

"Several reasons, really." The giant demon fox smiled, once more bearing its k-nines once more. "First, and foremost, because you want me to. Then there's the torture aspect. I do so enjoy watching you suffer, especially if I'm to be trapped in this astral prison. Finally, it makes me feel more at home."

"Stupid fox!" Naruto blurted, staring down the caged demon. "It's not my fault that you—" Something in the fox's words clicked. "Wait…_More_ at home?"

"Of course," The Kitsune acknowledged, slinking back into the shadows until only its red eyes were visible once again. Those two faded until Naruto was left squinting into caged darkness…. But only for a moment. The red eyes reappeared, but this time they were smaller and instead of staring down at him from a height of several stories, were now looking upon him from his level.

What stepped out of the shadows behind the eyes was definitely not a six story lupine of demonic origin, though it could have been correctly classified as a fox.

She was about one hundred and seventy centimeters tall with floor length reddish orange curls and a figure many men would sell their souls for. Its perfection was wrapped in a liberally cut black and red kimono whose wrap prominently displayed the roundness of her assets, while the slit up the robe unveiled a long, sensual leg. It was only the nine orange and white tails dragged along behind her and a set of triangular ears sprouting from her hair that differentiated her from the average human. A long, blood red fingernail traced the bars of her prison as she smiled, a her face's exotic feature taking on a distinctly cruel visage as she smiled and spoke, her seductive, throaty voice now a far cry from the terror inspiring rumble of before.

"After all… _I'm_ a woman too."

* * *

_**T**his hospital's getting old_, Ranma Saotome, currently male for the time being, thought quietly to himself as he observing his bed-ridden friend twitch unconsciously every now and then. _Musta hurt like hell though_, he admitted, remembering how the crimson power fed back violently upon its wielder, refusing to be shaped and molded. In the end, the brute force technique failed, leaving the remainder of Team seven to stare at nearly a meter of scorched earth and one equally scorched girl. Ranma gave the burnt blonde another once over and turned to the robed elder standing watch beside him. "Good thing those medics got there so fast." 

Sarutobi nodded noncommittally. There it was again … The barest hint in the child's voice that suggested that he wasn't necessarily accepting events at face value. It would have been an easy hint to miss, but it had already been directed in his direction once before.

In this case, however, Ranma's suspicions masquerading as a simple observation were quite founded and there was no point in even dancing around the issue. "Naruto is under twenty four hour surveillance because of his… condition."

The boy snorted with dry amusement. "Which one?"

The Hokage cracked a bare smile. "The same one you yourself are afflicted with."

Ranma made a show of thinking on the matter. "And which one is that?"

This time even Kakashi chuckled with humor and the Elder bowed his head in defeat, though his eyes twinkled with humor. "As I'm sure you're aware, the nature of his… _passenger_ makes him an attractive commodity to others of less than noble ideals."

"Which is why you got 'em on me too."

Sarutobi didn't even bother with the subterfuge some of his ANBU commanders had suggested, nor did it come as a surprise that the boy had noticed his covert escort. "The very same. That which is inside you is powerful. Perhaps not as powerful as a nine tailed kitsune, though it matters little after a certain point. The same eyes that would turn upon young Uzumaki would surely turn upon you for the same reason."

Ranma studied the old man for a moment as the elder took an absent drag of his pipe, looking upon the unconscious girl with concern. Ranma followed his gaze, studying the blonde from within his own contemplation.

"Just what do I got inside me, old man?"

"A good question." The Hokage stroked his chin, contemplating the matter. "Young Naruto has, for all intents and purposes, a demon locked within. A very powerful demon. You, on the other hand harbor a spirit, though the line between the two is a nebulous descriptive at best." Sarutobi took a puff from his pipe and continued. "Some scrolls hold them as celestial guardians while other as pets to the gods themselves with an affinity toward fire or lightning."

"So yer sayin' that somebody created a technique to lure a supernatural pet into a pit with me?" Ranma blinked, finding the idea ludicrous.

"More than likely to imbue a chosen host with its essence." the Elder nodded, not finding the idea even remotely humorous. "And better a Raiju than some other hostile entity, I would imagine."

"Like 'Ruto."

"Like Naruto." He confirmed. "The nine tailed Kitsune, Kyuubi is without a doubt one of the more malevolent to walk this plane, likewise one of the more powerful… To the point where imprisonment was our only viable option."

The black haired martial artist absorbed the trickle of new information, and forward the one question he had been dying to ask. "Why Naruto, then? He's just a kid…"

"Indeed he is." Sarutobi agreed with a measure of sadness lacing his voice. "Unfortunately, he happens to be a more secure vessel than myself to be honest, though any child at the time would have sufficed." Ranma's questioning stare was all the prompting the Elder needed to continue. "There is little in this world that will destroy a being such as Kyuubi outright, though properly contained, his power could be diminished over time… Time neither I nor many of the adults at the time would have."

Ranma nodded thoughtfully. "So yer saying Naruto was taken because he was the youngest kid at the time?"

"Correct." Sarutobi confirmed, then exhaled a lazy cloud of smoke. "The more time passes that the demon remains trapped under the seal, the more it is diminished. Ideally, the nine-tails will loose a majority of its power before containment unravels entirely or the host passes on."

"Waitaminute." That explanation cause Ranma to stop short and pull up is tunic to reveal his own seal. "You 're sayin' these things aren't permanent?"

The elder snorted with an emotion rating less than amusement. "Hardly. Seventy… Eighty years before it unravels under the strain of so absorbing so much power. If the demon isn't depleted by that point, it will be released, though more than likely severely diminished in stature."

"Okay, that makes sense. Suck the thing dry before it's able to get our again." The boy reasoned. "Still gotta deal with it, but at a much later date and a lot weaker." A new thought suddenly occurred to him as he worked his way through the logic. "Uh, what happens to the 'container' when the seal unravels? Hell, what happens to us if we bite it before the thing has run its course?"

"If the seal unravels, the demon more than likely escape, much to the detriment of its bearer." The Hokage sighed heavily. "Likewise, it the host dies… _prematurely_… there is a chance that they will take the spirit with it."

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't." Ranma snorted derisively, his sarcastic tone sounding odd from his thirteen year old voice.

"Would your decision have been different if you had known the mechanics behind the seal first?" Kakashi asked in that thoroughly bored tone that he had mastered.

"Not a chance." The boy chuckled. "Would locked kitty up in a heartbeat anyway."

"Kitty?"

"Eh… I saw the seal from the inside." Ranma explained, earning the Hokage's instant undivided attention.

"You saw inside the seal."

His tone was flat with an edge of disbelief and Ranma nodded. "Looked like a cave. The seal on my belly was etched into the rock at my feet and the big o' cat was behind bars." Sarutobi's stare caused Ranma to stop short in his explanation. "What? That ain't supposed to happen?"

"I… _we_ were under the impression that the seal was one way." The elder explained, shaking his head. "The seal vents power, but lets nothing else out, let alone _in_."

"Great." The boy huffed. "More magical bullshit. Wonder if 'Ruto's got the same deal?"

All eyes invariable turned to the blonde girl before them who continued to twitch restlessly in her sleep.

* * *

"**D**o not think that I would surrender my leverage so easily, brat." The imprisoned woman before Naruto returned in a sufficiently menacing tone. Her human vocal chords couldn't simulate the booming voice of her lupine form and instead came out of a throaty feminine growl. "You and yours have wronged me and I _shall_ take my vengeance." 

"I didn't do anything!" The neo-girl protested indignantly. "Besides, I don't need your help!"

"Indeed." The demoness Kyuubi frowned. "While it is true this prison will eventually siphon off a large portion of my power, it will take some time to do so and even longer for your corporeal form to adapt to it without my cooperation… But by all means, help yourself. It could be years before you ever see your masculinity again. _Decades_, even."

"Y… Years?"

"Oh yes." Kyuubi confirmed with a malevolent smile and began to pace the line of bars, ensuring a healthy amount of leg shown through the liberal cut of her crimson kimono with each step. The demon woman could now easily fit through the gaps in her prison now, but hadn't bothered to step through the bars. "I should think you will be a woman for some time to come. Have you ever wondered why they seem to be more irritable than usual once a month?"

Naruto couldn't help but to stare now. It was like watching a hideous accident unfold before his very eyes, and he was all but compelled to ask. "W...Why is that?"

The malicious smile widened. "_Menstruation_."

Naruto mouthed the word for herself. She didn't have a clue as to what 'menstruation' was, but it did not sound good… _Not at all_. Especially not with the way the woman was smiling when she said it. "Dammit, Fox!"

"Of course, I _might_ be convinced to help you."

Naruto's attention focused immediately. "You would?!"

"I would require a favor of you, of course." She continued conversationally, ignoring the girl's excitement as if it were inconsequential. "A small one really. See that circle by your left foot?"

Naruto's blue eyes found the fist sized circle carved into the stone floor at his feet, its circumference lined by a myriad of glyphs that interlocked with a larger circle. "Yeah? What about it?"

"It needs a drop of your blood." She smiled warmly. "Just a drop."

_Well that isn't so bad…_ Naruto thought, considering the circle. Squeeze a drop from his finger and get this farce over with. No more girl, no threats of menstruation- _whatever the hell that is_ –no more… Naruto's reasoning stalled as he looked up, noting the warmth in her expression. It was an expression she recognized well. All _too_ well. She had seen it too many times to mistake it for anything but false sincerity. _Of course it's too good to be true. Too simple…_

"No."

"No?" The woman questioned innocently, cocking her head as if to hear the word better. Naruto shook her head to confirm her answer, and that was when all hell broke loose.

"**RAAAAaaaAAAAARRR!!**" Power flared as the roar echoed through the cavern. Naruto could literally feel his insides vibrate as the scream of rage pulsed through him, knocking her flat on her butt. If it weren't a dreamscape, she would have literally peed her pants as the woman morphed before her eyes into the giant fox it had been originally. The beast snarled viciously, snapping ineffectually at the bars. "FREE ME OR YOUR SUFFERING SHALL BE BEYOND IMAGINING, WORM!!!"

"No—No way!" Naruto backpedaled across the circle to its furthest edge from the cage where Kyuubi now gnawed at the unyielding bars. "Not a chance!"

The kitsune's eyes glowed a shining crimson and killing intent smothered Naruto like a blanket, all but paralyzing the girl with terror. "I have been maligned, spawn of Konoha and there _shall_ be reparations. You have my _word_."

Naruto didn't doubt the fox's promise. Not for a moment.

* * *

**I**ruka watched the boy before him attempt yet another exercise in futility. It was supposed to be an exercise in meditation; an effort to draw out and organize the rei lying dormant in his newest student, but with the way he was fidgeting, it be a miracle if they were going to accomplish anything today. Actually, the fidgeting was fascinating in and of itself, Iruka mused and watched the boy transform into a girl before his very eyes, sans water. The now redheaded girl appeared not to notice her change through the veil of concentration and Iruka looked to his left to find Hiashi Hyuga frowning. Iruka caught the clan head's attention, prompting the man to shake his head.. 

Iruka's shoulders slumped and he sighed audibly. "Alright Ranma. That's enough."

Blue eyes blinked open to find the pair of adults staring at her. She rocked from her crossed leg sitting position to stand up, shooting a questioning look at them. "Well?"

"The exercise was… ineffective." The Hyuga replied. Even if Ranma hadn't seen the frown on his face, he could definitely hear it, as if the entire process was not only disappointing, but an epic waste of his time.

"Hard time concentrating?" Iruka asked, ignoring any missive his parter had voiced.

"Yeah," Ranma blinked at the instructors insight. "How'd ya know?"

"You shifted genders three times over the last fifteen minutes."

"Huh. Go figure." Ranma replied, looking down at herself.

"You don't notice?" Iruka continued, finding her subdued reaction hard to believe. After all, if he suddenly shifted genders, the instructor was pretty sure he would notice.

"Nah." The redhead replied simply. "Gotten used to the balance. The voice freaked me out when I first got it, but what can I say… It's been mine for the last two and some change years. Little pitchy with the age thing, but yeah, it's mine."

"Interesting…" Iruka trailed off, then got back down to business. "The meditation exercises didn't appear to have any effect, but that could easily be due to your emotional state. Naruto, I take it?"

"Yeah," The pigtailed girl replied, shoulders slumping. "Half my fault the kid pulled that stunt to begin with, then he had to go and try to reverse it."

"If it makes you feel any better, he would have tried even if you told him to stop right then and there." The scarred instructor chuckled, but the the smile faded. "His upbringing has all but assured that he has to prove himself to everybody he meets… In some cases the method by which—"

"As my schedule includes items of a less mundane nature, I will be taking my leave." Hiashi interrupted without preamble, treating both instructor and de-aged student to a view of his back as he stepped out of the classroom. The door closed behind him with a click, leaving Ranma to stare at Iruka.

"What's with the stick up his ass?"

Iruka Umino nearly choked on the question coming from amounted to a thirteen year old. He had been known to punish kids for such a show of disrespect, though this child was not only deceptively young, but far more skilled as well. Given the circumstances, the instructor swallowed his surprise the best he could and answered the question. "Politics and entitlement. The Hyuga and Uchiha clans were one of the backbones of Konoha during the war. With the collapse of the Uchiha clan, it was inevitable that the other filled the power vacuum that was created."

"Uchiha… Sasuke's clan?" Iruka's expression deadened with the question and Ranma drew his own conclusions. "I'm guessin' somethin' bad happened."

"I… It's not my story to tell." The instructor pinched the bridge of his nose and the scar beneath. "Suffice to say, there were only two survivors."

Ranma was quiet for a moment, considering his sensei's words. _Only two survivors? The Sas kid is obviously one… And the entire clan bit it except for him and one other person? 'Somethin bad' is an understatement…_

"Alright. Kinda explains both of 'em I guess."

Iruka arched an eyebrow. "Both?"

"Stick and the Sas-kid." Ranma elaborated, causing the instructor pause as he digested the nicknames. "The kid is pretty distant. Easy to mistake him for just being an uncaring asshole." Ranma comment, vocalizing his thoughts on the matter. "Stick sounds like he just needs taken town a peg or two."

"I can't comment one way or the other." Iruka returned, though silently agreed with the girl's assessment of the pair in question. Sasuke had nearly as many friends in the academy as Naruto had, which wasn't saying much. They Hyuga's on the other hand…

Their role in the village's politics and defense had gone to their collective heads, Hiashi being a prime example of that attitude. Instead of treading further into the world of village gossip and politics, however, the he decided to return to the issue at hand. "Regardless, I can't help but to wonder if your shifting is interfering with your chakra development."

"That's as good as anything I got…" Ranma sighed, leaning back against the wall behind her in weary contemplation. "It's like I can feel the rei, but it keeps slipping away. And then my ki ripples whenever I change… It's pretty damn weird."

"Your ki… ripples?"

"Yeah." Ranma confirmed as she stepped further into the domain she knew well. "I think if the old man is right, his seal got tied to the curse somehow… And my ki. And since a good deal of ki is emotion based…"

"You're changing with the mood." Iruka finished up, earning Ranma's nod.

"Didn't realize it until we were talking to the rest of 'Ruto's team." The girl's brow wrinkled. "Pink annoyed me by going off about the curse. Changed when I started in on her."

"I see."

"Yeah." Ranma nodded. "Can't seem to control it like my other ki based techniques either. If I weren't so used to already changin' at random already, I'd be going nuts."

"I know I would…" The instructor muttered under his breath, then reorganized his train of thought. "Let's try something different then if meditation isn't working."

Ranma cast a curious look at the teacher. "Whatcha got in mind?"

"Remember how you projected your rei into open air last time?"

* * *

"**T**here's no way out, kit," A deep baritone growled, its bassy rumble echoing off the rough stone walls. "No way out _at all_." 

"Shuttup!" Naruto balked as he crawled through the shadows between the boulders and stone spires of the cavern. Only the eerie glow of the seal room illuminated his back as she sought an escape from the ethereal jail. "I'll find a way out!"

"Be my guest, little girl." The voice rumbled with a dark chuckle. "Your impotent searching amuses me."

Naruto stiffened and spun around as the thrust of the fox's joke hit home. "Don't take me lightly, fox!"

"There is little you can do to possibly scare me, girl." The fox sat on its haunches, glowering down at the blonde as she stepped back into the seal room. "I have already been sentenced to a withering death and should I survive that, a kunai undoubtedly awaits my weakened form once I escape. If I am to fall, why shouldn't I take you with me?"

Naruto gulped, her mind dropping into overdrive. By all accounts, the demon's future was a pretty bleak one with little incentive to help some boy stumbling into her domain by accident. Eyes glowing with red malice stared down at her as she raced through her dilemma. Only one thing came to mind."But it wasn't my fault!!!"

"And I care not." The nine tailed demon growled from behind its barred prison. "You are spawn of Konoha and that is enough."

"Well it's your damn fault for attacking the village!" Naruto shot back, momentarily forgetting that she was arguing with a giant ten story tall demonic fox. "You deserved what you got!"

"Foolish kit." The kitsune shook its head, admirably emoting her disappointment despite the imposing lupine form. "Do you really think i have nothing better to do than terrorize worthless monkey villages?"

"How the hell should I know!?" The blonde retorted. "And Konoha's my home, not some worthless monkey village!"

"Dust beneath my paws." The fox spat. "Regardless, your witless prattle does little to inspire my generosity. You will rot here, just as I, girl."

"And I'm not a little girl!" Naruto yelled back. "I'm going to be the greatest Hokage ever!"

"All the more reason to leave you to rot." Kyuubi hurmphed, then seemed to melt in upon herself. Naruto watched as fur and paws shrank into skin and limbs, leaving behind the exotic, silk wrapped orange and red headed beauty she had come to know as the fox's human form. "Tell me, little Hokage, why should I even care? I die, you die; a perfectly equitable arrangement in my eyes, unless you have something better to offer?"

"But I can't let you out!" The girls voice straddled an uneasy line between determination and whining. "You'll get loose and try to destroy Konoha again!"

"Much as I would savor the event, I value my existence and freedom further." The kitsune-woman cocked her head, contemplating the idea. "Yes, we shall make an arrangement, kit."

"We shall?" Naruto blinked cluelessly at the sudden turn of events."

You want your freedom, as do I." She explained, walking the length of her now overly large cell. "In fact, my freedom is the only thing of value you possess.""

Uh, yeah. It is." Naruto-chan agreed amiably as the woman continued.

"You shall free me."The blonde nearly choked on the statement.

"LIKE HELL I---!"

Kyuubi held up a hand to silence her protesting. "You, of course, will dictate the terms of that freedom."

"--will?" The orange clad girl stopped short as the impromptu negotiations continued. The fox was offering her control of the terms? Naruto's thoughts returned to the circle less than a meter from her right foot. "This isn't a trick, is it?"

"I'm a kitsune and thus bound by my word." The woman stated in a tone that sufficiently conveyed her annoyance at having her word questioned. "I am bound by any bargain we make here, such is my nature."

Naruto thought on the statement. "So if you promise not to destroy the village if I free you, you wouldn't be able to go back on that?

"Indeed, my incredibly naïve child." Naruto glared with the insult as the kitsune woman continued in a mocking tone. "Were I a lesser creature I would simply lie to you and say, 'but of course I must keep my promise, young Hokage! Please trust this malicious and incredibly powerful being that you have only just met to not go back on its word!'"

The glaring continued. "You're not helping…"

"Be that as it may," Kyuubi continue haughtily, "I am _not_ one of those lower creatures. I am bound to my word and any pact we make _must_ be upheld."

"That's not too bad, I guess…" Naruto mumbled as she seriously considered the proposal. "You could change me back to a guy too, right?"

"The seal binds us thus." The kitsune nodded. "Once we part, you would revert to the mundane form of your birth. I would need to manipulate your corporeal form in order to do so, however."

"Why not just let me have the power like before?! I did it once already!" The blonde girl railed, only to have the older woman laugh.

"Undoubtedly, but just as my freedom is your leverage, your manhood is mine. Do not think I shall surrender it against unfavorable terms. You shall free me, I shall manipulate your corporeal form and we shall end this farce." Kyuubi outlined decisively. "Do we have a pact?"

"Sounds okay…" Naruto mulled over the bargain. She was keeping Konoha safe, regaining her manhood and ensuring the stupid demon would never bother them again… What was not to like? "Uh, sure. We have a pact, I guess."

"Excellent." The woman smiled ferally and stepped through the bars for the first time; bars whose spacing she could have easily fit through before regardless. She glided up to Naruto with a smoldering gaze, smiling the entire time. "I'll make sure your friends know who to thank before they die as their village burns around them."

The girl gawked in shock as the woman passed her, moving out of the seal room and into the darkness of the caverns. "WHAT?! WE HAD A DEAL! YOU SAID YOU COULDN'T BREAK IT!"

"My poor, naïve girl…" Kyuubi paused, her shapely form now wrapped in both silk and shadows. She turned back to her jailor with a smirk and tisked. "You have freed me and I shall manipulate your corporeal form to remove the seal. Our pact never covered the well being of Konoha."

"You...! You can't!"

The woman chortled and resumed her journey into the shadows. "I can, and I shall, spawn of Konoha. You precious village will burn… _Burn to the ground_."

"NO!" The blonde rushed into the shadows after the demon as she disappeared mere inches from her grasp, laughing manically the entire time.

The laughter faded into echoes, leaving Naruto Uzumaki alone in a prison of her own making.

* * *

_Ding-ding!_

**M**ara Yamanaka looked up from the bouquet she had been attending to find a pink haired girl ducking through the doorway, blue eyes darting around before settling upon her person. The blonde owner smiled and beckoned the girl in. "Hello Sakura-chan, it's been so long since you've been by! Come in!"

The ninja in training stepped fully into the store, noting some of the changes that had taken place since her last visit nearly six months ago. Several new shelves worth of ikeban in the corner. A new glass display housing numerous beautiful flower pendants. Even the trim had been lightened to a creamy tan, giving the interior a warmer, more spacious feel to it.

"Here to see Ino?" The question tore her attention away from the décor and back to her friend-cum-rival's mother with a nod. The woman smiled once more, tied a particularly beautiful arrangement of bamboo curls off with a golden ribbon.

"Uh, gomen. Yes, Mrs.Yamanaka" She recovered from her lapse with a slight bow, hoping that her sudden appearance after months of absence wouldn't provoke too many pointed questions. "Is she in?"

"Helping in the back." The mother said with a smile, setting the display aside. "I'll get her for you."

Mrs. Yamanaka stepped back from the counter and through the curtained doorway at her back disappearing for a few minutes before the same curtain slid back open, admitting a younger blonde to the floor. The frown Ino wore upon stepping out was quickly replaced by a malicious smile upon noticing her friends subtle agitation.

"What's up, Sakura-_chan_?"

Sakura didn't miss the twist on the normally affectionate pronoun, causing her unease to churn and boil into hostility. "You didn't tell me!"

Ino turned up the patronizing attitude a notch with a blank look. "Why, I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe if you could—"

"You're getting special kunoichi training!" Sakura accused. "From that perverted girl!"

"Perverted girl…?" Ino's patronization stalled for a moment as she tried to picture just which perverted girl her rival was referring to._Hinata? Not a chance there, unless she knows something I don't… Ten ten? Doesn't seem like the type… And Ranma's a…_ Her train of thought was derailed abruptly by her own snort of incredulity. "You mean _Ranma?_"

"Exactly!" The pink haired girl nodded vigorously. "She turned Naruto into a pervert like herself!"

Ino listened to her friend rant then rolled her eyes. "First of all, Ranma's a sadist, not a pervert." Sakura blinked, seeing little difference in the terminology. "That's just her… _his_ bloodline. Second, I was there. Naruto-baka did that to _himself_." Her smile now took a disturbing turn. "Third, I think you're jealous."

"Jealous?" There was a certain venom in what was otherwise a question that made Ino smile even wider.

"You're not jealous that I'm training with a gender bending instructor that's the same age we are." She returned maliciously. "Heck, you're not even upset that Naruto turned himself into a girl. You're jealous that I'm going to get all this special training, impress _my_ Sasuke and take him away from you!"

"Why you--!"

"And you know what Miss 'I have Sasuke on my team and you don't'?" Ino rounded the store counter, her blue eyes flashing with prideful challenge. "I'm going to rub it in your face every chance I get."

Sakura ground her teeth throwing a deadly glare at her one time friend before turning on a heel and stomping out of the store, slamming the sliding door behind her. Even as Ino basked in the afterglow of pride, the curtain behind her slid open, admitting her mother into the room with a frown on her face. Ino's victory died quickly as she saw the look on her mothers face.

"Young lady, I believe we need to have a talk…"

* * *

**R**anma Saotome ducked low as a kunai streaked past his head, then sidestepped the snap-kick aimed in for the space his head was expected to occupy. Instead of being the potentially lethal position, the boy deflected the leg, knocking the black and gray swathed ninja off balance and opening his guard critically. A fist cocked, ready to capitalize on the opening before being pulled back in deference to a flip back as another round of kunai sought to impale him, flashing in from the left. Another masked ninja leapt in behind the salvo to relieve is comrade. 

This one was quicker and Ranma steeled himself for the block as the new attacker stepped in, belting out his own combo. The boy's arms jarred with the blocked impacts, but he was already initiating his own counter, sliding left to pulverize his opponent's ribs only to watch the target vanish before his eyes. The stumbled to a halt as not his opponent disappeared, but his partner and the kunai imbedded in the earth as well. In fact, the cut that ran diagonal along his back and a deeper one along his shoulder had evaporated. No torn clothing, no blood, no nothing. In fact, the only thing that did still exist was the pale woman with red eyes on the field's edge observing him passively.

Ranma made sure his immediate area was clear, then flashed a smile at her as he made his way off the field toward her.

"That was pretty good stuff, Sensei!" The statement cause the nin to blink as the sweating boy strode toward her. Even she had to admit there weren't too many people that would consider a potentially lethal illusionary technique a good workout. "Hell, I'd learn these techniques just for that."

Kurenai simply nodded, motioning to the bench behind her. "I would have to caution against such usage, Saotome."

"Eh? Why's that?" Ranma plopped down on the proffered seat, whipping his brow while his Genjutsu instructor sat next to him.

"Two reasons, actually." Kurenai began, dropping into student–teacher lecture mode. "First, genjutsu is incredibly difficult to cast on ones self. More importantly, your mind is active component in that equation. Training with genjutsu tends to have a detrimental effect on one's skill level since you experience- to a degree –exactly what you expect to experience."

"What's so bad about that?" The boy questioned, failing to see the point. After all, what could be so bad about going hammer and tongs with opponents just as good as he— Ranma's eyes widened. "You're saying I'm fighting myself."

"Quick." Kurenai nodded with the compliment. "Within the bounds of the conjured illusion, of course, but since your mind plays a large part in generating the illusion, you end up battling your own mind."

"Great for katas, not so for actual sparring." The pigtailed boy frowned as he realized the technique he was being shown lacked the value he though it had.

"An accurate observation." She returned. "That aside, however, did you notice anything out of the ordinary while you were under the Kurushimi's effect?"

"Not really." Ranma allowed his head to loll back as a cool breeze caressed him, cooling his body down. "Fight seemed pretty damn real to me. Pain, cuts, blood… If I didn't know it was you, I could have been fightin' for a bit just like last time before I realized what was up." The boy smiled. "Guess that means you're gonna have to teach me."

Kurenai smiled back. "No."

"Wha--?!" Ranma gaped at the denial.

"Not for lack of skill or determination." Kurenai quickly added in order to forestall the boy's initial bluster. "The fact is that until we find a way to successfully integrate your rei and ki into chakra, the best we will be able to do is drill you in exercises specifically designed to spot a genjutsu. Even drilling seal forms will just be going through the motions at this point."

"And this afternoon's session with Iruka-sensei didn't help much." The boy admitted, sighing. "Is genjutsu anything like 'Ruto's shadow clones?"

"Yes and no." The nin explained cryptically. "Shadow clones are physical manifestation chakra. Everybody can see them and they can interact with the real world. Genjutsu, on the other hand, uses Chakra to manipulate the mind and body into seeing things nobody else will be able to see."

Ranma blinked at the description. Sure, he knew the effects first hand, but it almost sounded like… "Mind control?"

"No." Kurenai corrected patiently. "Chakra flows around and throughout the body. Genjutsu manipulates that chakra, fooling the senses. Essentially, it overrides the five senses the body usually relies on into believing something is happening that actually is not."

"If that's the case, it should be possible to know your regular chakra from the irregular stuff." Ranma instantly reasoned as the tactical portion of his brain broke the technique down point by point. "Maybe even filter out the polluted stuff once I get good at it…"

_Frighteningly quick_, Kurenai added silently as she listened to the boy. Part of that surprise was, of course, due to the fact that physical age versus his mental age continued to throw her for a loop… The other part of that was the fact that he was just _that_ quick. For somebody only weeks exposed to chakra, genjutsu and ninjutsu with no practical experience in them, there was no doubt in her mind that Ranma Saotome was a genius in his own right…

_And_ her_ own right_, she snickered silently to herself. It was an aspect of Ranma she was going to exploit to its fullest."Both are accurate deductions," The instructor continued, rising from the bench. The same breeze that was cooling her student down tugged at her red obi gently. "You, however, are particularly vulnerable given the lack of organization your chakra possesses. It was fairly easy to manipulate using the Kurushimi technique."

"Yeah, yeah. Rub it in." Ranma groused, joining the nin as she began to walk off the practice range. "So how do I fix it?"

"Obviously, your exercises with Sensei Umino will address part of the problem, assuming you can both find something that will build your chakra." Kurenai continued, analyzing her student's problem in detail. "But for now, genjutsu is useless to you, except in knowing when it is affecting you. That shall be _our_ focus."The teacher led her student into a sectioned off area of the practice range shrouded by trees and shade, motioning him to sit on a curved rock at its center. Ranma shrugged and hopped atop the stone, sitting cross-legged upon it. "What now?"

"Now you concentrate." She returned. "As i mentioned before, genjutsu manipulates the chakra of the five senses. I will concentrate on the manipulation of each, one by one while you attempt to discern how that manipulation is taking place by any means at your disposal. We'll start with your eyes."

Ranma nodded and watched as Kurenai's hands formed a series of three seals. She was done in seconds and relaxed, the technique apparently causing her no strain whatsoever. The boy before her, however was left looking around. "Don't see any changes."

"Subtly is the point." She advised him. "Concentrate on what is beneath the beneath, instead of that which is in front of you."

"You hurt my brain with all the zen in that, but okay." Ranma shrugged and began to concentrate on his the other tools at his disposal; his four senses and massive reservoir of ki. Kurenai watched the boy concentrate for the next five minutes, unsuccessfully trying to divine her technique with everything but his eyes while she decided to take in the shady grove she had led him to.

It had been one of her favorite hideaways back in her training days to concentrate on new techniques and she was hoping it served her new student in the same capacity. A faint smile drifted to her lips as she found a patch of flowers and bent down to pick one, when a wave of dark taint washed across her, causing her to nearly topple over. Ranma was off the rock instantly to break the fall. The look on his face as she brought her back to balance told her that the boy had felt the very same thing she had.

"Somethin's telling me that wasn't you."

"Definitely not." Kurenai shook her head, righting herself. The nin turned back in the direction the power felt the strongest, which also just happened to be that of Konoha. The power continued to buzz in the back of her brain like an impatient insect looking for release from a confined space. Worse yet, it was a familiar buzz. All too familiar. Her next words came out in a far away voice that was lost in memory. "I haven't felt anything like that since… since…"

Ranma studied the far away look in her red eyes with trepidation. "Since what, sensei?"

"Since thirteen years ago." She whispered. "Since the fox."

"The fox…?" It didn't connect immediately. Thirteen years ago he was following his father across Japan and Korea on a martial arts sojourn. Thirteen years ago he was even younger than the body he wore now. But thirteen years ago here…

"Naruto." The statement was decisive and Ranma disengaged from Kurenai with a speed that would have left her to topple over is she hadn't already gained her own balance. Red eyes tracked a blur that shifted from black to red even as it raced across the practice range and disappeared over a wall.

The woman blinked, taking a moment to recover before racing off after her student.

* * *

**T**wo ninjas and full combat armor faced off on a roof top, staring at down one another with lethal intent. Even though they sat in the shadows of a steeple, every muscle was posed on a hair trigger, fists clenched. Another moment of silent threat passed and they raised their hands to strike. 

Silence. They blurred to strike in three precise movements.

"Three! Two! One!"

"Rock!" Stated one masked nin, holding his fist in a continued clench. Had his face been visible, it would have shown with victory until he noted his opponent's hand. "Bastard!"

"Paper." The other ninja replied smoothly. He was also wearing a cat faced mask, but the smile was clearly evident in his voice. The warrior adjusted the black and green camouflaged cloak draped across his back. "Again?"

"Hell no." His partner shook his head emphatically. "I'm already pulling two shifts of your guard duty. I know to quit while I'm behind."

The camouflaged nin shrugged and pulled a small block of stone from this hip pouch while the other hand unsheathed a Kunai from his bandolier, running its edge across the rust colored rectangle with a light his. After a few strokes, the action was automatic and he turned his attention to the hospital two rooftops away. "Don't complain too loudly or the container will wake up."

"True." The partner snorted. "Better to pull two shifts with Naruto laid up in the hospital than chase him around Konoha. Going to be boring as hell though."

"I have a deck of cards?" The other replied, instantly earning a wince from the Ninja. He set the kunai and whet stone aside and was about ready to pull the deck from a pocket oat his calve when he paused, looking around. "What the hell…?"

His partner cocked his head, trying to discern the sensation for himself. If felt like bees echoing somewhere around the base of his brain stem. Even as both ANBU were trying to figure out just what it was happening, something was awakening from within the hospital. A pair of blue eyes blinked open inside recovery room 305, their owners smiling.

The thirteen year old blond sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings as she acclimated to her new body. The smile diminished slightly as she flexed her power and found it blocked… restricted. Kyuubi pulled up the white tee she was wearing to find the hated seal whole and in tact. She still had power, just not nearly enough to destroy the pathetic little village around her in one fell swoop.

_It matters little_, the kitsune decided, sliding off the bed. She tapped a measure of the power currently available to her and began to change, her thirteen year old body melting into the adult vision she had held within the dreamscape prison. Naruto's orange styling evaporated as well, mystically rewoven into a rich red kimono with little fan fair even as she was formed into a woman with long auburn tresses and nine tails. The demoness took a deep breath and smiled wickedly. Once she was able to untangle the mess painted on her belly, she would have all the power she needed.

Kyuubi extended her hand toward the north wall, currently occupied by a small window, a simple wooden desk and a modest painting depicting two lovers in a meadow under a blue sky. Orange fox-fire flickered in the woman's hand, pulsing once.

**BOOOMMM!!!**

Two startled ninjas three rooftops away watched as a white-hot inferno engulfed the north wall of the hospital they were standing watch over; the exact location of the person they were supposed to stand watch over. The flame billowed out into the blue sky briefly before dying away, revealing a perfectly carved circle through the wall of room 305. Both ANBU troopers watched as a woman stepped into the vacant opening, looking out upon the village beyond with a malicious smile spread across her face.

"We have unfinished business, Konoha."

* * *

THUNK THUNK THUNK! 

"**H**okage-sama!"

The door swung open to reveal a cat masked ANBU in full combat gear. The black clad figure in turn found the Hokage in question already donning his on dull silver armor and helmet, pulling one of the leather rib straps snug before turning his attention to the segmented bracer on his wrist. He paused in his preparations to nod at the nin in the doorway. "Yes, I felt it too. Kyuubi?"

"Affirmative, Hokage-sama. It has co-opted the container's body." The ninja reported, dropping into a half bow.

"Status?"

"Containment teams two and eight are already in place." The soldier reported. His tone was completely at odds with the smiling cat mask and the only other thing visible beyond olive green body armor was his sandy blond hair. "ANBU Aki, Fuyu and Shunkashuutou are assembling along the perimeter of the hospital even as we speak."

Sarutobi remained silent, staring at the bracer he had been tending to. He had known the possibility that this day might come; the day where the demon Kyuubi might one day breach the seal. He had been hoping it would be years from now when the fox was sufficiently drained enough to be slain outright. But thirteen years… It was doubtful that a mere decade had sufficiently drained the demon's power to make a noticeable impact on the upcoming encounter. In fact, their only chance now lay in just how much of the seal remained in tact, prompting the Elder's next question.

"And young Naruto?"

"Consumed." The ANBU nin returned. "Little remains of his chakra signature within Kyuubi avatar."

Sarutobi had been pulling the other bracer tight and stopped. "Avatar?"

"The demon has assumed the form of a woman." The nin continued. "We are unsure of its potential at this point."

A sickly hope sprang up within the third Hokage of Konoha. If the demon hadn't taken its most destructive form yet, there was still hope that his village wouldn't die by fire… And yet for that possibility to occur, the boy entrusted to be the demon's container would have to be written off as a casualty of war.

Sarutobi's weary mental sigh escaped audibly as he considered what his next course of action would entail. There was still every chance that young Naruto was still alive within the body the demon had claimed as its own if his chakra hadn't been consumed entirely, but…

The Forth pulled the leather of the bracer tight across the aged skin of his forearm. …But the peril was too great and their window of opportunity- and very survival –was too small. Bearing nine tails, there was little doubt that Kyuubi was millennia old and thus had a master's grasp of the seals that imprisoned him… or _her_. Given sufficient time, she would undoubtedly unravel whatever remained of their initial effort to subdue her. A side portion of the Hokage's intruded on his morose train of thought, noting that the lines of gender pronouns were blurring entirely too much as of late. Regardless, time was of the essence. If the seal was still in tact and preventing Kyuubi from assuming her ultimate form, there was a chance she could be_… neutralized._

The nin waited patiently at the door. A patiently, smiling cat full of lethal potential. "Your orders, Hokage Sama?"

Sarutobi, third Hokage of Konoha pulled the steel helmet from its stand where it had sat unused for the past thirteen years. The decision he was about to make would undoubtedly haunt him for years, if not to his grave. Not _that the two could possibly be that far apart_, he mused darkly. There was a chance that Naruto was still alive somewhere in there... Still a spark of the child entrusted to safeguard Konoha. The same child that had endured undeserved scorn for the duty saddled upon him since birth. Naruto didn't choose this path… Sarutobi shook his head. In fact, it was damn poor repayment for his duty as the village's savior, but at least…

"Hokage sama?"

Sarutobi steeled himself. Regrets would have to wait. "Our window of opportunity is short. Neutralize Kyuubi… by any means necessary."

The cat masked nin produced a scarce nod and was gone from the door to relay his order, leaving the Hokage to pull a leather bandolier of kunai and tags from the very rack his armor had hung from.

_Naruto Uzumaki had been born into this world a hero_, he reflected grimly. It was only fitting he should die one as well.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**  
A lot of this story fell into place once the plot point with Kyuubi was realized. It has solidified a large portion of this story which, I'll be honest, had been floating nebulously on the horizon. Short term plot had been worked out, but long term was rather iffy (which is what I get when I let the muse 'Spite' write my fics). In either case, that is no longer much of an issue as long term plot for all the major characters has been worked out, including issues I've been wrestling with for a while. I know my release schedule has left something to be desired, but to be frank, my work schedule sucks major ass atm. This is also why the other fics haven't seen as much headway… It's either concentrate on one or it'll take a year to release three :p 

**Female no kitsune**;_ Kyuubi's gender is never referenced to my knowledge and while her voice is deep, yours would be too if you were a giant demonic fox. At least I think it would be. I've noted at least one other ranma cross is taking a similar route as I write this, so while it doesn't seem like the most original direction to go, I'm hoping it's at least amusing… _

**Sealed Deals**; _Little is mentioned as to the exact nature of the seal on Naruto aside from the fact that the two can communicate in times of stress and that Naruto can utilize the demon's chakra as his own, implying one of two things: It is either an intentional side effect or unforeseen when the seal was first developed (but utilized as a weapon by other factions). I'm angling for intentional, but with the intention of destroying demons, only being utilized as a weapon once its potential was realized per the mechanics explained in this chapter._

**Special Team 13;** _The number is an educated guess based on the number of teams there seem to be, including 'Team Gai'. The 'special' designation is due to the fact that Ranma's team is not only largely experimental in nature, but composed of members from other existing teams, thus part time in nature._

**Special Thanks; Metroidvania** for editing services rendered, **Amy** for plotwork and all that jazz. Sorry it took so long again, 8 is already in progress. Anything left after their passes is _Ion-kun's_ responsibility. Lazy bastard. Extra Thanks to **Calamity-Queen of Cordite **for some her post-op work. ffnet ate my formatting in some places.


	8. Chapter 8

**Tales of the Foxcat**  
Chapter 8_  
By Ozzallos_

"**T**his has got to be the stupidest training _ever_," Ino Yamanaka snorted as she walked down the street with her teammates in tow, turning the corner at Omato street and vectoring into Konoha's restaurant district.

To her left, Tenten harbored her own doubts concerning what there instructor- a girl of their same approximate age -had defined as 'seduction training'. Seduction apparently consisted of acquiring free food from willing vendors in the early hours of the morning before training with their regular teams. Not that it was quite that simple, of course.

There were _rules._

Rule number one was that they were to use no cash in the acquisition of their food. That had almost been expected by the silk clad kunoichi in training, who shrugged the rule off as something that was part-in-parcel to being a ninja. The second made things a bit more difficult, however, as none of them were allowed to _steal_ said food either.

"I mean, how are we supposed to get food if we can't buy or take it?!" Her blonde partner fumed as they journeyed deeper into the district. The smell of food wafted across their noses enticingly across the teams noses, taunting them with the dilemma further.

"Ask for it, I guess?" Tenten shrugged slightly, somewhat mystified herself.

"Right," Ino grumped looking around to the various restaurants and street food vendors setting up shop in the waking hours of the breaking day. "What are we supposed to do? Make puppy dog eyes at some poor sap and ask him nicely for free food?"

Another neutral shrug from Tenten was her only reply and the blonde girl harrumphed her dissatisfaction, all but ready to just to blow the task off.

"Um... Sensei said...She said that Naruto-kun..." Hinata stumbled shyly, picking across the point she wanted make. Ino gave her a subtle nudge.

"What did she say about mister last place?"

Hinata frowned, and the girls ill-placed words solidified her timid counterpart's train of thought. "Sensei said that Naruto-kun was able to complete this training easily."

"What?!" Ino nearly screeched with the unwelcome revelation. "With that cheesy jutsu of his!?"

Hinata simply nodded passively, and even Tenten couldn't help but to express her disbelief. "Under the same rules? No theft? No money? No revealing the mission?"

Another nod from their teammate instantly sealed Ino's resolve. "Well if some boy disguised as a girl can do it, so can I!"

"Same here," Tenten nodded, also not willing to be shown up by a boy concerning a mission involving one of the primary rolls of a deep infiltration kunoichi. "How do you suppose we should go about this? Out target has to be completely willing."

"Well, maybe one of us can distract..." Ino started, but her voice trailed off as her blue eyes stared past Tenten.

"One of us should what?" The bun tied kunoichi asked before noticing she no longer had her teammate's attention. Tenten turned around and was equally surprised to watch the most introverted member of Special Team Thirteen having already selected her target, and was moving to engage him.

Hinata Hyuga had indeed selected her target: an older, balding man who was just finishing up the prep of his modest sized crepe stand. Every step forward required a _massive_ thrust of willpower, but that willpower was backed by a single, immovable anchor that even her own terminally reserved nature couldn't wash away: _Naruto._ Naruto-kun had done this. _Her_ Naruto-kun-- the immovable pillar of confidence and strength that she had borrowed upon time and time again since she had known the boy. He had pioneered the way for her and she would follow in his footsteps. The ground was her only focus now; one foot in front of the other. _I can do this_, her mind chanted the terrified mantra with every step. _I can do this... I can do this... I can do--_

"Allo', young lady!"

"Eeep!" Hinata jumped with unexpected greeting and her head snapped up, finding the vendor smiling down at her; a smile that morphed into a curious look with her reaction.

"Ah, I'm sorry if I startled ya," The man scratched his handkerchief tied head. "Too engrossed in my selection, no doubt! What filling can I make for you?"

"Eh, um... filling?" Hinata blinked, her heart still recovering from the shock.

"Well, I only have four this time of year, of course," The aging man dipped a beat up looking ladel into a pot and drew some batter, applying it to the flat of a hot skillet that steamed in the cool morning air. "Cherry, Blueberry, Apple and Snozberry, of course."

"Ch-Cherry is fine, I think," The girl returned hesitantly, now fully committed to her course of action. Fifteen meters away, her partners in crime watched as the their teammate negotiated the treacherous waters of their objective while man finished up with the thin coat of batter, pulling the solidified final product away to be filled with cherry filling and cream.

"That'd be fifty akagane, please!" The friendly man smiled, handing Hinata the paper wrapped crepe. The genin instinctively reached for her own wallet when one of the rules of the mission was suddenly remembered. Hinata's eyes widened again, as she found herself suddenly faced with an objective that was no longer simply theory.

"I...Um... It's..." The vendor cocked his head, curiously as the girl stumbled through her words, barely able to produce a cohesive sentence while turning a truly pathetic look on him. "I... can't..."

Sympathy instantly stabbed at the vendor's heart, as it was quite obvious what had happened to the embarrassed girl. "No need to worry about the money, girl. I'll cover this one for you."

"I...it seems..." Hinata continued to bumble until his words replayed in her head. "W-What?"

"No, no, don't even try to refuse," He waved her off. "Come back soon, though! I need more customers as cute as yourself!"

Rapid blinking followed the comment on the girl's behalf, and the nin bowed profusely as she retreated from the stand's proximity. After the fourth such bow, she beat a hasty retreat back to her teammates, who had watched the entire scene with incredulity.

"_You_... you must be _kidding_," Ino stared with wonder even as Hinata stared at the hot crepe folded in hand, as if the construct of batter and fruit filling couldn't possibly have been real.

"I... That was _amazing,_" Tenten likewise stared; the trio of girls gathered around Hinata's pastry like it some sort of sacred relic.

Ino stared at the crepe for another moment before a confident smile began to creep across her face. "Great job, Hinata-chan!" The blonde cheered, causing the girl to nearly jump out of her skin for the _second_ time in five minutes. Ino and turned to Tenten. "You ready to do this?"

"Definitely!" Tenten nodded vigorously.

Both girls turned back to the food court, selected their targets and began their respective attack runs with prejudice.

* * *

**K**yuubi, the nine tailed demon Kitsune of legend, had another meal in mind.

_Blood. _

It was also her opinion that when the inhabitants of Konoha were concerned, the more blood spilled, the better. For thirteen years she had been trapped within an astral prison, denied of her vengeance. The Hidden Village of the Leaf would _burn_ for its trespasses, and she would personally see to it that when future generations uttered the name, it would be in the form of an epithet or some dark omen. Her intentions were to scrub the wayward village from the earth, leaving it a lifeless scorch mark that would fail to bear life for _centuries_.

Today, that goal was proving exceedingly difficult.

The crimson haired woman sprinted across another rooftop, trailing spatters of blood as she hastily retreated from another platoon of heavily armed ANBU; kunai flashing around her as she wildly evaded the specially tagged spikes. The kimono clad Kyuubi rolled right, evading the majority of the steel salvo but missing the crossfire she had been herded into. A cat masked ANBU stepped out of the shadows and hurled her own kunai into the fray, and the kitsune spun out of the roll, hand ablaze with a gout of fire. Two of the knives were immediately engulfed in the blaze, flash vaporized out of existence. The remaining kunai was diverted from its lethal vector and instead found the flesh of her shoulder.

"RRaaaRAAHHH!!" She snarled, ripping the blade from the muscle group and hurled it away before the tag tied to it could power up with ethereal energy specifically detrimental to her continued existence. Blood trailed behind the lethal implement as it bounced across a rooftop before exploding in a flash of electrified light. Another splotch of crimson began to seep across the torn finery of the redhead's kimono. She gathered enough chakra to create a suitable distraction, lighting the roof with a spectacular blaze of fire before leaping into one of Konoha's anonymous back alley ways. Her fingers flashed through a jutsu and her form took on that of translucent shadows as she ran deeper into the urban maze.

_Damn every one of these monkeys to hell!_ she hissed to herself, turning down yet another corridor while hugging the walls and staying within the shadows. On any other day, she would have been able to positively _annihilate_ every last one of her tormentors and reduce their precious village to ash. Today, however, she was bound by seal, flesh and blood. They could hurt her, _had_ hurt her and had all the tools at their disposal to finish the job. _Kunai tagged with thunder-heaven seals_, she recalled painfully, pushing chakra into the newest wound at her shoulder in order to speed up the healing process.

Much as Kyuubi hated to admit it, the Hokage had done his job well in preparing for her eventual return. There was no shortage of people prepared to kill her, and they were disinclined to engage her at hand to hand range where she could put her limited chakra to the best use. Nor were they willing to provide her with the time necessary to untangle the seal and remove it, much to her chagrin. In short, they had the numbers, weapons and power required to ensure her demise.

_And that of the brat's_, Kyuubi appended mentally. She had been hoping that his continued existence would serve to give the humans a second thought before killing her outright. Apparently that second thought had been given, considered and discarded. _For the greater good, no doubt_, she snorted, ducking into a shadow darkened back alley and melting into the cover. Taking one thirteen year old boy—even considering who likely sired the spawn—down with her was hardly a sufficient body count to warrant a conversation with the abyss.

_No, the body count needs to be much higher,_ The shadow of Kyuubi decided, her long, delicate fingers shaping the initial seal form. The demon fox woman fed chakra into the construct, her hands flashing through the seals. _Astral earth lock… three sides… ichi ni, san, done. Astral fire lock, blood encrypted, twelve sides… brute force…_ Three hand signs later she was through the barrier and carving her way into the next seal. _Wind astral—booby trapped! Chakra feedback loop tied to a elemental fire ward… careful…_

_Shsssssssssssss!!!_

Kyuubi's slitted eyes flew open as her hearing picked up the subtle hiss of high speed wind. Two triangular ears immediately zeroed in on the sound. _Above! Left! Kunai! _The scarlet woman dodged the silver streaks with unnatural speed as three ANBU from rooftop above began to coat the alley with steel and blades from on high. The female kitsune dropped her shadow jutsu in favor of chakra conservation and offense. She let a blaze of fire that billowed into the roof's ledge to obscure her attackers vision so she could break away for the mouth of the alley. Kyuubi closed on the opening and felt something was off… power in front of her. The fox woman slid to halt and her fingers flashed through a quick jutsu. Power flowed forth and countered the illusion in place, revealing another squad of heavily armed ninjas that had set up their kill zone under genjutsu illusionary cover while the distraction had played out on the roof. A couple more steps and she would have been too deep inside it see anything less than a lethal outcome. Even now, though…

The demon fox woman threw herself down and steel flew, streaking above and around her as Kyuubi's rooftop assailants recovered, creating a deadly crossfire of edged weaponry. The crimson haired demoness was preternaturally quick, but the sheer weight of fire being directed into the confines of the alley ensured she took hits. First came the shallow cuts, perforating her kimono with razor thin slices and blood. Eventually a kunai found the whirlwind even as she was about to summon enough power for a counterattack.

The tagged kunai found her left arm and she tore the point out with her right hand, only to have another embed itself deep into her lower back. Pain shrieked through her wounded body, and she pulled that one out as well, both daggers bouncing to the dirt with a flash of lightning. The Kitsune prepared to improvise and exit through the ally wall when two more kunai found her. Kyuubi dug the first one out of her leg hastily, but didn't get to the second in time. Her hands closed around it and the blade flashed a brilliant white, dumping its chakra into her system. A single blade in and of itself was hardly lethal, especially given her reserves, but the intense strobe of pain was more than enough to create a distraction…

…And an opening.

The demoness hissed as the next wave of kunai flashed in. She continued the evasion, but slower. Another kunai found its mark and while she was reaching for it, and another. She wasn't nearly fast enough to retrieve both and the pair discharged.

"_RaaaAAAAGHHH!_" The howl echoed down the alley. Both tags lit off and destroyed the defense Kyuubi had been weaving in an excruciating flash, sending what had been a controlled evasion into a brutal auger, skidding across the unforgiving alley gravel while her body twitched involuntarily. The spit second it took the kitsune to find her senses wasn't nearly enough to recover and this time, she was nearly immobile. The nin crossfire found her with brutal efficiency, allowing eight kunai to find their mark, while four more of the specially tagged implements followed. The back ally pulsed brightly four more times, each accompanied by a helpless scream.

"Cease fire!"

The steel rain stalled with the command, allowing the group of veteran ANBU specifically assembled to deal with this very threat to assess their handiwork. What they found would have turned their stomachs if they hadn't known exactly who it was they had just taken out.

The crimson hair woman lay in a crumple at the center of the ally, her body riddled with kunai. Each wound allowed a small river of blood to burble from her flesh, but every man looking upon the creature knew those particular kunai hadn't been the primary source of damage. Molten slugs of smoldering steel were interspersed among them, representing the spent heaven seal tagged kunai. They stuck out of her body at odd angles as well, the heat of their energy expenditure scorching both the finery of her kimono and her pale flesh.

A senior ANBU stepped forward with another four specially tagged kunai in hand. His lieutenant followed. The cat masked commander regarded the fox woman coldly. "The Hokage will be here to finish the job shortly, beast."

Kyuubi pulled her face from the gravel surface, fixing the nin with the only eye not matted with blood. It began to glow furiously and her body attempted to right itself in spite of the all-consuming pain. "I… will…. You… will… _die…_"

"Not today." The ranking nin considered the spasming woman impassively. He fanned a new round of kunai through his fingers with a cruel smile. It really was a pity they wouldn't be enough to kill her. No, that required a S-Rank kinjutsu to accomplish. All the tags did was discharge chakra into her body that reacted violently to demonic chakra. In short, it was barely enough to incapacitate her, though the monumental pain they caused in the process was simply an added bonus.

The captain sighted the demoness, who was only beginning to regain her balance, and loosed the kunai with a heave. The blades would have less than a second's worth of flight time, and the ANBU officer doubted the fox would be able to intercept a single one, let alone all four.

It had taken over a decade, but vengeance was sweet.

Kyuubi's slitted eyes tracked the four blades as they left his hands, and she knew as well what they represented. _Defeat_. Two blades would be enough to buy the time necessary for their infernal leader to arrive. Three would complete incapacitate her. Four? _I probably won't even be conscious for my own demise._

The split second hung in that small eternity, and Kyuubi readied her final defense, futile as it may have looked. She tensed for the deflection...

CHing_! Chingching!chin!_

Silver flashed as four tagged kunai were suddenly ablated by a shower of sparks, diverted to the earth just inches from her feet. Four more kunai landed next to them lazily, their tips finding the ground. The Kitsune was too shocked by the sudden defense to notice the flames burning off the ends of each one.

"TAG!" One of the ANBU yelled and the squad in the ally pulled back hastily. A single tag had an effective radius of about three meters. Four in the confines of an ally would create serious property damage and all of the nin took cover immediately.

The four square tickets burnt down and exploded with hollow thuds around the kitsune, blasting the alleyway with thick white smoke. Even through his shock, the ANBU commander watched as a shadow dropped into the cloud from the opposite rooftop. _What the hell?! First smoke, then…_ Realization dawn on him.

"Back in position!!!"

Even as the alley and rooftop squads hastily returned to their crossfire, the dense cloud began to glow blue, suddenly erupting in a bright flash. Warning screamed through the commander's brain and he rolled right as a blue sphere of power blazed by. His team members dove for the dirt as well, barely missing eating the two-by-two meter ball of energy. The commander looked up from the ground, back towards its origin.

A perfect hole had been carved through the smoke screen, revealing a glowing boy, supporting the unsteady demon with his shoulder. _The Raiju container_?! The demoness seemed almost as surprised as he was. The boy balanced the kitsune woman, then spun around, pushing a fist into the wall to his left… and incidentally the support below second squad's roof top position. Stone masonry held against the punch, but only for a moment. Spider cracks consumed the wall from where the small boy's fist had impacted, while the tremors throughout the structure signaled second squad's appointment to vacate their position.

Ninja scattered, and brick promptly imploded upon itself, taking a section of the roof ledge with it. Chaos now reigned supreme as the collapse filled the ally with its own dust and debris, completely obscuring the pair. The ANBU commander scrambled to his feet , his hands flashing through seals.

"Kaze Houshutsu!" A blast of chakra driven air erupted from the hand seal, forcing a window through the dense cloud of smoke and dust. The officer smiled as the visibility opened his attack corridor. A kunai slid between his waiting fingers and—

_Gone. _

The dog masked nin's eyes searched every corner of the ally before him. The fact that he found nothing but a caved in wall and over a dozen kunai where the demoness and her ally had been standing caused the man to tighten his already frustrated grip on the kunai in hand. The Hokage was going to have his ass for this one.

"Spread out, spiral search pattern!" He snapped, causing the ANBU host to leap into action. He stared down the empty alley once more, snarling before leaping to the nearest rooftop himself.

* * *

**I**t was a rare thing to truly surprise a being as old as Kyuubi.

Few people knew that Kitsune of the Prime Material plane gained a new tail once every century, and with it, new abilities and power. To put this all in perspective, Kyuubi had accumulated a total of nine. If you did manage to catch her attention, it was normally out of curiosity or being perceived as a plaything for her amusement… Or, if one weren't so lucky, being seen as a target of her displeasure.

Now she was staring down at the thirteen year old supporting her in _shock_.

"Don't move."

Nor was the creature known as Kyuubi used to taking orders. She was a being of pure power. Lesser things- such as the inhabitants of this monkey village -didn't order her around, but she had managed to survive nearly a millennium on power, instinct and guile. Weakened and very nearly defenseless, instinct told her to heed the child's words as the cloud of near suffocating dust and smoke roiled around them. Logic told her to run. Logic insisted that once the cloud cleared, it was all over.

"_Kaze Houshutsu!"_

_Wind jutsu_, she noted grimly as the chakra gained depth around them. A small gale hit them like a wall, shredding their visual cover in less than a second. The boy remained absolutely still. _What was he doing…?_ She looked deeper, probing with ethereal sight. It was a very difficult thing to perceive, even with her enhanced senses. Chakra… but not… and_… flowing backwards?_ She could see the cloak of un-chakra, roiling around the teen and up into her where he was holding her up.

The discovery was puzzling in and of itself, and much as she yearned to dissect the riddle further, she was already ass deep in her own crisis. Riddles could wait. The demoness turned her attention from the boy to the ANBU captain less than fifteen meters away. The nin seemed to stare down the alleyway and _through_ them before turning on a heel with a snarl.

"_Spread out, spiral search pattern!" _

Kyuubi blinked as the ninja on high and at the mouth of the alley suddenly dispersed with the order. The captain himself gave the alley one last look before leaping up and away himself. The black haired boy held what was now obviously a cloaking jutsu for another few moments, then dropped it, releasing a strained breath. The fox woman studied her unlikely savior as he recovered from the exertion, taking the moment to seal her own wounds as well.

Blue eyes suddenly snapped up, fixing her upon her with thinly veiled malice. "'Ruto still alive in there?"

The kitsune arched an eyebrow. First that not-chakra cloak and now knowledge of her… _hostage._ She quirked a slight smile that was completely at odds with how dire the situation was. "For now."

The blue eyes cooled noticeably. "Good, cuz he's the only thing keeping you alive. Let's go."

From anybody else, the threat would have prompted Kyuubi to tear the unfortunate speaker's head off. Nobody threatened her. _Nobody._ But from a child… _This_ child… Who had just saved her…?

Very odd.

And yet, _very_ interesting.

"Indeed," The kimono clad redhead crook a sardonic smile down upon the boy. "Then what do you propose now, kit?"

The boy snorted, his eyes losing a slight measure of hostility. "Now we get the hell out of Dodge."

Where the village of Dodge was located or its significance was largely irrelevant to the demoness, as the thought was communicated clearly enough. Neither time or numbers were on her side, and it was doubtful that her unlikely savior would be able to extricate themselves from a _second_ confrontation. Much as the word left a sour taste in her mouth, retreat was the only viable option at this point… _Or die_, she grumbled, following the boy out of the alley and off into a side street. The fact that she was at the tender mercies of this village of man-monkeys was irritating enough, let alone a street urchin such as the one before her. There was still one overriding question that needed to be asked, however, even as the boy led her down on of the winding, civilian packed streets.

"Why?"

"I made the kid a promise." The black haired boy didn't even bother to look back, his blue eyes scanning the rooftops for threats. The statement caused Kyuubi a moment of mental pause before smiling.

"You are a child monkey, perhaps, but your thinking is right," She reasoned in a haughty tone. "Yes, maybe I shall spare you."

"If you're gonna spare me anything, spare me the bullshit," The boy quipped derisively, causing the demoness another moment of pause. "You release Naruto and we never see each other again."

"Such an ultimatum," The redheaded kitsune arched an amused eyebrow. "And if I don't agree?"

He glanced back at her for the first time since their escape, fixing her with a leaded gaze. "Then things get real ugly, real fast."

Kyuubi held her patronizing smile for as long as it took for the boy to turn back down their vector of travel before it evaporated. Very little about this child was adding up, and while she knew the man monkey offspring could be fierce at similar ages, never had she happened across one with a the same combination bravado, skill and utter fearlessness. Everything about his posture said he would confront her if she agreed to anything less than her captive's unconditional freedom.

"I guarantee nothing, save continuing our... _negotiations_ once we are beyond the reach of their pursuit." The boy gave her a wary look, but declined to comment further and instead led her down another back alley, through and out into street clogged with people. The kitsune eyed the boy with a dubious look. "You _do _know where you're going...?"

"Mostly," He replied with nonchalance, causing the woman to frown as they weaved through the crowd of pedestrian traffic and street vendors. His blue eyes continued to flick up and down the street, instantly noting the masked ANBU stationed on the taller rooftops. "Dammit... Gonna be harder than I thought."

"And you thought we would be walking out the gate, kit?" Kyuubi snorted in a derisive tone, focusing on the threats herself.

"Weren't complaining five minutes back when they were handing you your ass, were you?" The child remarked edgily, causing the demoness to growl softly. He edged toward the left side of the thoroughfare, motioning into a branching artery. "Side street. This way."

Ranma had progressed only half way down the side street before skidding to a halt as his aura sampled the power levels ahead. He took a glance to his left and right, considering their rapidly narrowing options.

"They are attempting to herd us," The red haired demoness growled, having felt the same power levels ahead. Ranma simply nodded, looking back along their path of escape. She was absolutely correct, he noted, feeling the pattern of spikes all around them with holes conspicuously left open to the west and a smaller one to the north

_No way out_, the pigtailed boy surmised grimly. No matter which way they turned- be it the obvious sucker points or the all too obvious patrols -their spread would ensure contact at some point. Ranma took another sample of the power levels patrolling the village as he consider the only choices left available to them: _When_ and_ where_ they would engage those patrols.

_Force the trap at its weakest point,_ his tactical mindset dictated and strategy began to coalesce around that doctrine; doctrine that was severely handicapped by the information available to him. _Which is why it's called a trap_, Ranma scoffed mentally, returning to the dilemma. The holes in their patrol patterns were obviously _not_ the weak point, and there was really no way to know where that critical fault was in the time available.

Only two of what could safely be assumed ANBU around the corner about hundred meters down range could be sensed, and Ranma was automatically wary of _that_ setup too. _Too easy_, he decided and nodded, turning back to the kimono clad demoness.

"Feel the three to the east.. say, two hundred meters?"

"I do, kit," The Kyuubi nodded, cocking her red mane as she considered the boy. He had discarded the obvious holes and the all too easily breached perimeter in the street beyond as escape routes? _Facinating child..._ "And I agree. It is far past time to dispense with this these pathetic games."

"Just remember your end of the bargain," He frowned and started forth, taking the next right off the back street to cut through dumpster littered alleyway. Just doing this would more than likely severe any ties he had built with the village, but a promise had been made, regardless of how shitty the outcome was about the turn; and damned if he was going to let the demon chick slack on her end of it. Said demon followed easily, and the ally opened up into a vacant lot that they skirted the perimeter of before stepping back into another backstreet where both slowed, stopping before rounding the arteries' corner. Beyond it were the three as yet unseen ANBU, though their chakra could be felt floating on the breeze easily enough.

Kyuubi smiled evilly, gathering her limited, yet still formidable power around her like a cloak. Ranma's frown deepened but he stepped up, fully prepared to commit what was likely considered capital treason against the village of Konoha.

* * *

"**T**hree, clear," A horned red masked- almost ironically demonic -ANBU keyed the walkie hanging from his shoulder harness as he scanned their surroundings from street level. He glanced up to his partner on a nearby roof, then to the third of his team keeping tabs on their flank before continuing. "No sign on this end."

"Stay sharp," A voice crackled back through the open channel warily. "The wards indicate the beast is moving through the Nodo district."

The ANBU nin stiffened slightly and took another quick glance around. "We've got most of the civilians rerouted. How close?"

"No idea," The report continued. "The fox is running stealth and our return has enough overlap to encompass you, four, seven and eight."

_...With lots of room in between teams_, the special forces ninja added silently, his frown invisible behind the crimson mask. "Keep us apprised. Three, out."

The nin looked back at his comrades, each nodding in turn that they had understood the message loud and clear-- That the fox was moving through their zone. Half him had hoped that the demon would be stupid enough to take one of the openings and run headlong into various ambushes lying in wait; likewise the undermanned bait teams that would hopefully appeal to its more opportunistic nature, if such a nature existed. The other half_... knew better_. Every single nin chosen for this assignment knew Kyuubi's dossier backwards and forwards. The file wasn't a thick one, and there was still a lot about the creature that was a black unknown, but one thing that was clear: The demon was intelligent and _old_, and he seriously doubted that it would fall for--

Movement out of the corner of his eye stopped the contemplation, and the nin had just enough warning to whirl around toward the disturbance, watching as a shapely redheaded woman solidified from the shadows of an nearby shop overhang. She held the trio of ANBU with a cold smirk in that moment before raising a hand and conjuring a viscous, globular ball of fire.

_"COVER!"_

The ball was already moving through open air by the time the word rolled off his tongue, and ninja threw himself to the right just as the miniature meteor blazed through the space occupied by his head less than a breath before; gutting the furniture store at his back. Compressed flamed expanded into a firestorm that torched anything that hadn't managed to descend to a height of less than two meters in under one point eight seconds. The lead ANBU barely made that standard, and his body armor blistered across most of the back, melting in some places and smoldering in others. Even as he was busy rolling out of the blaze and desperately cutting away his body armor, he caught a glimpse through the flames of the nine tails flowing forth, that ethereal beauty trailing kimono and tails; darting in and out of his team's kunai barrage to engage them directly.

Kyuubi flowed around a hand of stone that suddenly erupted from the earth, seeking crush her in its grasp, but she jinked to the right, sighted it with her arm and blasted it back into molten rock before closing to melee range on the second ground borne ninja. The ANBU recovered from his jutsu barely fast enough to dodge the lance of ice she had conjured in the other hand, narrowly missing the faceless nin's head with the first stroke and meeting his kunai with the second with the sharp twang of stressed steel. The kitsune woman simple smiled cruelly as she pressed her target with unnatural speed, hacking at his guard with the much larger weapon and forcing him back meter by meter.

It also gave the third remaining rooftop sentry all the time to line up for his shot, and a heaven seal tagged kunai flashed into his grasp. The dog masked nin tensed for the throw, sighting his target and pulling back his arm in one steady movement. He waited through another couple of seconds of melee before picking the moment, his arms flowing outward even as his partner below deflected another lance strike. The act removed Kyuubi's silhouette from any possibility of friendly fire and the roof borne ANBU took his shot.

Or rather, _tried._

Even as his arm reached its maximum extension, a gust of wind caught his attention, and suddenly the boy was there, sliding beneath the arm. Cold blue eyes locked onto his for a moment and the next found his throwing arm deflected up, ruining the release and sending the carefully aimed kunai sloppily downrange where it was sure only to hit unoccupied ground. With the shot ruined, the ANBU turned to his newest target, but not nearly fast enough for the speed and skill of the opponent he faced. The throwing arm that had been knocked away was caught, reversed at the joint and manipulated to open the sentry's guard entirely. He still had one arm free, but so did the black haired Raiju container, and the boy had already committed to his strike in the form of a open handed punch to the torso that seemed to spiral into the nin.

_**BOOooOOM!**_

The moment Ranma's palm touched the ANBU's body armor, hot and cold ki exploded in a dense wave front of pressure that shredded the vest and sent the man careening violently across the roof, wood shingling flying like shrapnel until he skidded to a halt at the other end, clearly unconscious.

"_Artesian district!_ The Kyuubi is _here!_" The lead ANBU yelled into the walkie talkie that he had managed to salvage from his burning vest. His right arm was numb and he hadn't had time to pull the charred splinters from its mangled, bleeding flesh yet. Unfortunately there were other priorities at the moment, and that was extracting his team from a trap gone horribly awry. The radio crackled static back at him, and he bashed it against the ground, hoping to God that it hadn't already taken its limit of damage. He raised it back up to his blood cracked lips. "The Raiju container, too! We are heavily eng--"

Another explosion and suddenly the second member of the team tumbled wildly through the flaming debris, crashing to a stop just beyond him and crackling with electricity. The man was a bleeding wreck from his vantage point, and the lead rocked to his feet, abandoning his efforts with the fried communications device in favor of his teammate's condition. The man was unconscious, had taken numerous deep lacerations and...

"...He is the last person I would worry about, were I you."

The lead nin spun around, his masked face spinning directly into the waiting grasp of the demon kitsune. Her clawed hand closed around his skull like a vice and his protective mask immediately began to sport a series of hairline cracks; decorative enamel flaking away. She lifted him skyward with unnatural strength and his free hand desperately reached to his combat harness for a hold out kunai to slash at her blindly. The hand was promptly intercepted and broken at the wrist with a meaty snap.

"Now, now," She tisked haughtily, relieving the mangled hand of its weapon and tossing it away. The other free hand stabbed at her with a sebon, which was also stopped and broken. The needle shiruken tumbled impotently to the ground with an accompanying grunt of pain. The same hand that had rendered her opponent's broken abruptly burst into flame and she smiled cruelly, raising it aloft. The nin struggled, but with little to no leverage, it was a largely futile action and she laughed heartily at the effort. "Oh, and feel free to scream, monkey. I will so enjoy the musical accompaniment as I relieve you of your head."

She raised the incandescent hand back and selected a point that would cleave through her victims neck at the third vertebrae when the slightest hiss of wind caused her ears to twitch. The whisper was registered with merely enough time to form the thought that something was wrong when the decapitating hand was bathed in furious, needling pain.

"AHHHAaaaRRHH!" She snarled, dropping the ANBU and snatching her hand back to find it rent by a kunai. Blood oozed from the wound and she wrenched the dagger out with a hiss, tracing the vector back to whomever had just promoted themselves to her next victim. She growled, summoning the ice lance once more, only to find her one time ally, another kunai in his hand ready to salvo. She blinked with surprise then snapped furiously. "Don't think that I won't devour your soul too, welp!"

"Settle up later in your own body," The pigtailed boy glared back, hopping down from his rooftop vantage point to step between her and the ANBU she had dropped. The man was still attempting to struggle back to his feet when two sharp pokes to the back of his neck ended the effort, returning him to the ground unconscious. Ranma turned back to the kitsune that menaced him, looking up at her with a hard gaze that few boys his age had any right producing. "If you got a problem with that, we'll do our _negotiations _right here and now."

Kyuubi ground her jaw, hard pressed to remember another moment in her considerably long life where she had felt so _torn_... Torn to either rip the life out of the child right here and now for his trespass, or allow the child to live just to see the outcome of their pact and what exactly made him.. Kyuubi's anger guttered quite abruptly as she watched the boy walk over to the first nin she had all but dispatch, quite literally melting into a redheaded girl right before her eyes. The boy- now a girl -looked over the ANBUs wounds with a quick eye, selected some areas of the body to poke and ripped cloth away from his person to tie off a wound.

Ranma gave the wounded nin one last glance before nodding to herself and returning to the demoness. "C'mon. If we don't move now, we'll be ass deep in ninja..." She paused a moment, looking up at the fox woman. "...Unless you wanna negotiate with them too."

Kyuubi stared at the girl, any further threats to dismember the child dying on her tongue with the impromptu transformation. Curiosity was eating her alive now, curiosity that for the first time in nearly a decade, overrode her obsessive need for vengeance. It was also curiosity that she had no time to indulge in, and her slitted red eyes flicked up to the tower of smoke billowing up from their assault. Her eyes returned to the waiting redhead, whose own red hair matched that of her avatar eerily if not for the age, and made a decision.

"We shall go."

Ranma blinked, believing that her victory had been entirely too easy. But like the kitsune and her quandary, she had little time to analyze it in depth. What she had told the demon fox had been the absolute truth, even if the girl was also using the fact to distract the woman from tearing up more of Konoha's ninja. They would be swimming in them any moment now, and if this Kyuubi couldn't cut loose whatever the chip on her shoulder was, her own goddamn exile from the only safe harbor in this foreign land would all be for nothing.

The martial artist gave the kimono clad woman another skeptical look before taking the hop to the closest one story rooftop, mildly surprised that the kitsune followed her so readily; speaking as she landed lightly beside her. "High chakra levels to the east and south, kit. A score more closing on our position from the north."

Ranma nodded, filing the anamoly of her cooperation away for later scrutiny. "Ain't gonna get out of here without seeing more action. Might as well minimize it. The wall?"

"The wall," Kyuubi agreed, and both took off at a flat sprint, directing their escape toward the village wall's closest point. The pillar of smoke and fire was behind them now, but a quick glance back shown figures gathering around its roof, then turning in their direction. Ranma redoubled her efforts to put as much distance between them, and the fox woman did likewise.  
_  
May actually make it to the-_- The slightest flash caught the corner of her eye and Ranma pivoted on her left heel that was meant for the next step, sliding out through the unexpected sleet of kunai from above. Sharp taps thunked around her as the steel edges imbedded themselves into wooden slats at her feet, missing her by the narrowest of margins. The casual observer might have attributed the misses to a lack of accuracy on the thrower's part. Less than a second behind the girl, the demoness Kyuubi knew otherwise. The girl was literally _that quick_ and anything that refused to miss the girl was skillfully diverted via palm or bracers, dancing through the rain of blades until the threat's origin dropped to her height. Three Leaf ninjas dropped in, and Ranma lunged to avoid the first stab of hand to hand combat.

The kitsune behind her skidded to a stop, immediately focusing on the threat that unseen, and not the chakra constructs that had distracted her counterpart. "Shadow clones, kit! they're--"

_Poof! Poof! Poof!_

"--clones." The girl was through the chakra clones before the woman even completed her sentence, and Ranma stood in a low crouch, already familiar with the technique and scanning for the real targets. Kyuubi's eyes flicked back and forth, the only enemy visible still well over two hundred meters away. "Genjutsu. Stand ready." Ranma nodded and the demoness swished at the air with one of her nine tails. _"Kai."_

Reality wavered for Ranma and her eyes widened as it became clear just how dire their situation was. _Surrounded_, she ground her teeth down with the observation, her blue eyes scanning no less than a dozen ANBU arrayed around them. She flipped a single tagged kunai into hand. "Well, I guess this just got a tad harder."

"Harder that you realize." The red head was already spinning with the voice on the wind, yanking Kyuubi by the wrist and interposing herself between the demon and the owners words as if executing some exotic ballroom dance maneuver.

In reality, the that wasn't too far from the truth and her kunai dropped to the roof as she did so. Kyuubi slid to a halt, blinking with the sudden motion even as the her vision locked on to their newest opponent. Red eyes widened, and she spat a hiss at the old man who had just landed at their backs, already crouched to strike. His hardened gaze flicked from Kyuubi to Ranma. "Please step away from the demon, Saotome."

"And what's gonna happen when I do that?" Ranma asked in a seemingly easy going tone, her tense stance relaxing somewhat as she considered the Third Hokage of Konoha carefully. He was in full combat armor, or rather the absolute minimum any ninja cared to mount and still maintain a mote of stealth and mobility. Gone was the red and white robe; likewise the fancy hat. A plain looking steel and leather helm adorned his white hair in its place. Studded leather padding likewise covered his joints, all but screaming exactly what would happen as soon as she moved out of the way.

"The monkey leader will attempt to kill me, just as his apprentice attempted, and his minions before," Kyuubi growled, her chakra coiling around her and lashing impatiently behind Ranma.

"The blood of one child will be more than enough on my hands," The Hokage confirmed, returning his gaze back to Kyuubi and slipping out a paper seal from his left bracer. "I would rather not have another as well in returning the fox to the abyss."

"Yeah, what a damn inconvenience that'd be," Ranma quipped back sarcastically, keeping a steady eye on the slowly closing ring of masked ANBU. "Sorry, old man. Made the kid a promise."

"She will destroy the entire village if given the opportunity, Saotome!" Sarutobi barked, torn between the safety of the people he was sworn to protect, and the taking of another life in order to do so. Having to slay the Fourth's own progeny was bad enough. The aging leader had already determined he would step down from his position once the deed was done just for commiting such an act. But now another child... "Even if young Naruto is still alive in there, I cannot allow the nine tails to manifest her full potential!"

"Then it looks like we got a problem," Ranma shook her head, calling up her fullest measure of ki. it was like sucking a marine aquarium through a silly straw; supremely taxing, but doable... _Barely_. For Naruto's sake, it would be absolutely necessary if they were going to see the next five minutes alive. Angry chakra boiled at her back, and it didn't take much imagination to realize Kyuubi was all but doing the same.

"You cannot win this, Saotome," The Third shook his head sympathetically, taking a wary step forward as the remaining nin closed the killing circle. "Step aside."

Ranma's hands flicked and suddenly sprouted ten kunai in each, every single last one of them tagged. Each one tasseled in the breeze, and the Hokage stopped his advance. The redhead girl adopted a confident smirk. "You wouldn't believe my references."

Even the circle of ANBU halted their advance, recognizing the explosive potential the redhead had at her disposal. The Hokage frowned, his memories drifting back to less than a week ago and a certain redheaded kunoichi instructor utterly annihilating her target dummy with over fifty tags of the exact same type; pulling them all from literally nowhere. _And the remaining arsenal of what she had requisition is still unaccounted for, _he realized soberly, her message communicated with absolute clarity... Victory was still certainly his, but that the fight was going to become far vastly destructive than he had originally imagined.

"You made Naruto promise," He began anew, hoping for another way around what was beginning to evolve into a quagmire of blood and fire. "Kyuubi will not keep that promise. In fact, she is likely to slip a chakra kunai in your back at her first opportunity."

The smirk tightened slightly, but the redheaded girl remained rooted to her spot with that uncaring stance of hers. "Maybe. But then all bets are off and I'd have to kick her ass anyway."

"No."

Ranma didn't even bother to look around at Kyuubi's terse objection, though the Hokage was already supplying all the explanation needed. "It is not so simple, Saotome. Even sealed--

"No," The redheaded woman behind the pigtailed girl reaffirmed, interrupting Sarutobi. "She is a precocious kit, but her thinking is correct. I will abide by my agreement to negotiate the brat's release once I am free of your loathsome settlement."

"You... She..." The Third blinked, clearly caught off guard. Ranma simply nodded and he considered the matter before regaining his mental footing. She would actually hold to her word? And not just skirt around the letter of the law? _A kitsune can't lie about that sort of thing_, Sarutobi mused as he searched for new leverage. "I will not allow you to leave the village."

"Then you will die, insect," Chakra began to lash furiously around her once again. "I will burn this--"

"We will conduct your negotiations here and now."

Kyuubi blinked and even Ranma couldn't help but to do a double take. The red chakra around the woman calmed slightly, but the demoness still held the Hokage warily. "I already know of the kit's terms. What are yours?"

"Return to your seal," Sarutobi stated firmly. "Your continued survival is--"

"MEANINGLESS!" The woman snapped back, and Ranma could feel the hatred burning at her back. "You sentence me to a slow, withering death instead of a quick one! I may not have full access to my astral form, but I will rend a large swath of Konoha from existence before I fall back into the abyss, Hokage!"

"And I'll help the old man kick your ass if you do," Ranma quipped back at her one time ally, but still had her eyes riveted on the threat before them. "I'm only helpin' yas escape, not burn a bunch of innocents."

"And after he is done with me, he will have you, little one," The kitsune woman snapped back. "He will hand you over to his interrogators and you will wish you had died alongside me." Her slitted glare snapped back to the old ninja. "My freedom is the only thing of value you possess. It is the only bargaining chip that will sway me, monkey."

"And tell that second group movin' up from the south to keep back," Ranma added. "This party is already more fun than it needs to be."

The Hokage cast the child a bland expression, but nodded to the closest of the ANBU to relay the order. "Be that as I may, I cannot free you, especially given your stated goal. Not even for the life of young Naruto."

Red chakra roiled and the demoness bore her fangs. "Then there is little more to be--"

"Parole."

Kyuubi's seething stalled in its climb to fury and the Hokage stared down at the Saotome now, rolling the unexpected word around in his mind.

"Parole?" The Third Hokage blinked, staring at the girl as if she had just grown a second head. "I will not _parole_ a demon who would just as soon destroy us as she would run around free."

"So make her promise not to," Ranma shrugged indifferently, shifting the blades around in her hands as if they were toys. In reality, it was only another reminder that she was quite adept in their use.

"I..." The elder faltered. Theoretically it was _possible_. Horribly improbable, but... "I seriously doubt she would swerve from her course at this late an hour."

"You would ask me to forgive their trespass against me?" The redheaded woman stared at the girl as well, but the chakra had calmed in spite the tone of her question.

"I ain't askin' ya to forgive anybody," Ranma shook her head, still mindful of the opponent before her, but affording Kyuubi a quick glance. "Just sayin' consider it."

_And exactly how are we to give a demonic kitsune 'parole'?_ The Third considered the matter, staring at the pair. _The seal could be modified... And Naruto fully debriefed on why one doesn't make deals with the Kyuubi... And it would eliminate a considerable threat if we could secure her word... With conditions, of course... _

Sarutobi took a deep breath, and stepped into the breach. "I... would be willing to discuss parole."

"Indeed," The woman remarked suspiciously. "Undoubtably, you have conditions."

"You will remain tied to the seal," He stated in no uncertain terms. "Likewise the majority of your power until we can determine your intentions. Naruto will utimately determine whether you can manifest yourself at all."

Kyuubi's gaze narrowed, but she produced a slow nod. "Continue."

"Your freedom is contingent upon the say-so of myself or some future Hokage," He did so, outlining the boundaries of her parole. "Likewise, you must swear never to harm Konoha or its citizens."

"_Unacceptable_," The demoness scrutinized the older man, though her chakra remained settled. "It should go without saying neither Konoha, or its leadership are worthy of my trust. It was a Leaf monkey who sought me out to begin with and likewise one who imprisoned me. Requiring such a universal pardon for your crimes would put me at a _severe_ disadvantage in our _future_ dealings."

"It is the only way I can assure you will not twist our meaning to come back on us later," Sarutobi crossed his arms, silently challenging her. Ranma stepped aside, watching the negotiations take place with considerable interest and equally glad she wasn't part of them.

"Then a counter proposal if I am to sacrifice this measure of my vengeance," Kyuubi returned with a slightly upturned edge to her lips. "Give the brat the keys to my release, likewise--"

"A release you have already secured in part through your wiles," The Hokage shook his head. "Impossible."

"The brat and the kit, then," Kyuubi amended, and Ranma's head snapped around at her. She smiled mischievously. "Naruto is relatively uncorrupted by your village's insanity. The kit will likewise hold to her word once given, am I correct?"

"Um, sure," Ranma glanced from her to Sarutobi, then back.

"Finally, once I am free, I will require protection," She continued, turning back to the Third. "The seal will undoubtedly strip me of a large portion of my chakra by the time you make up your small mind, and I will once again be at the mercy of your _word_ should another monkey from your village attack me..."

The Third Hokage of Konoha frowned at her counter terms. Naruto as the jailer had turned out to be a disappointment, but then the child was only thirteen. Naruto _and_ Ranma... Ranma would be workable in a dual lock-out scenario, if only because the demoness was correct in her assumptions concerning the boy... _girl._ Sarutobi shook his head mentally. This couldn't have been one of his better ideas, but for the sake of the Fourth's child and those in the village around them... "Who did you have in mind? It would have to be voluntary for obvious reasons."

"Oh, I have just the person," Kyuubi smiled, her fangs turning upon Ranma. The martial artist's expression went blank as she fully comprehended the conditional.

"And you'll release Naruto." Ranma mentally rebooted as she processed the terms of playing guardian to a demonic kitsune should it come under attack after it was free. It was less a question and more of a statement, to which Kyuubi nodded. Ranma nodded in kind. "Fine."

"Agreed," The Hokage hesitantly assented, and only after he reviewed the pact for any intrinsic flaw. It was a mess, but short of a new appearance by the nine tails or killing Naruto and Ranma, it was probably the best he could hope for. "Accompany the ANBU back to the hospital. They will ensure the compliance of the first part of our... _pact._"

The demoness stared at him for a moment with a look that seemed to take his measure before nodding, remanding herself to the custody of the nins. Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze then fell upon Ranma, who was finally releasing a pent up breath. "We will talk later. For now, I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I, old man," The redhead murmured before turning to follow Kyuubi.

The Hokage watched them depart the rooftop, leaving him alone even as the sun rose to its noon zenith. He had just come too close to slaying a pair of _children_. _In the name of Konoha_, he retorted to himself bitterly. It was amazing what you could justify when the ends justified the means. _Which doesn't make those means any less necessary_, he reminded himself, nor any less repulsive when it was all said and done. In a way, he had the Saotome ..._child_... to thank for allowing his conscious even this amount of reprieve, since it could have gone the other way so easily. Even through all of Ranma's bravado and reported skill, he and the kitsune would have been easily dispatched...

The Hokage's boot kicked against something as he finally turned to the edge of the roof himself, and he looked down curiously to find...

...A kunai. A single, explosive tagged kunai shallowly imbedded at his feet, its slip fluttering in the breeze.

_'And you wouldn't believe my references,'_ the words floated back to Sarutobi, as if carried by the same breeze that the tag fluttered to now. The aging nin bent down and plucked the unspent blade from the wooden roof tiling, studying it with a frown. It looked to be little more than a dropped tag, but it's placement was entirely too coincidental for his liking. _A single explosive tag to be triggered at the commencement of hostilities... _It would do little more than inconvenience him, but the structural integrity of the roof under him was another matter entirely. That alone spoke of a tactical mindset that was also very difficult to believe, but...

...The Third holstered the kunai into his own bandolier, making a note to update the child's bingo entry upon his return to the tower.

* * *

"**D**ammit, Fox!" Naruto raged, pushing an ineffectual fist into the closest stone wall and removing another layer of bleeding skin from her knuckes in the process. The girl's fury echoed off the slate rock of her prison, fading off into the black. "Let me out of here! I'm getting seriously pissed off!"

Silence.

The blonde girl growled. "When I get out I'm gonna--!"

"You'll do what, child?"

"AHHAH!" Naruto jumped a good meter, whirling around to the female voice suddenly at his back. Her blue eyes immediately locked onto her smirking tormentor. "YOU!"

"Yes, me," Kyuubi deadpanned, brushing a lock of her long red mane away from her face while looking upon the blonde girl haughtily. She patronized her with a smile, before looking around at the cave prison she had called home for the last decade and change. The demoness adjusted the finery of her kimono and turned back to the genin. "And here I was hoping for a change of decor while I was away."

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Naruto roared, lunging at the woman. She side stepped the wild grab easily enough, rolling her eyes.

"So be it, brat," She shook her head, galled that she had even agreed to what she was about to say. "You are free to go."

"I SAID--!" Naruto readied for another lunge, but froze as the response processed through her brain. "What? I am? Just like that?"

"Indeed," The demoness turned, her head tilting downward to the stone carved seal at their mutual footing. "There has been a revision to terms of my confinement, and I find them acceptable... For now."

Naruto blinked, staring at the woman's silhouette. While the magnificence of her figure was largely lost on the thirteen year old, the glowing pulse emanating from the seal was not. Part of it seemed to melt away before her eyes, while other parts literally wrote themselves anew into the bedrock. There were so many questions raging through her mind, though only one negotiated the mental traffic jam to make its way to her lips.

"You didn't hurt anybody, did you?"

The kitsune turned back to Naruto with a sinister smile. "Only a couple. What's a few bleeding monkeys between friends, after all?"

The blonde bared her teeth, snarling. "Fox, if you killed anybody..."

"Sadly, no," Kyuubi sighed wistfully. "Your friend ensured my tendencies toward their lethal demise were... _moderated_."

"Friend?" The word stalled Naruto's imminent rise to violence.

"I have neither the time nor patience to spell it out for you, waif," The demoness returned irritably. "Leave me to my brooding, else I will decline to return you to the gender of your birth as well."

Naruto's eyes widened, and he took the advisement seriously, pointing into the darkness opposite of Kyuubi's currently unoccupied prison. "This way?"

"Yes, yes, that way," She waved in the general direction, without even paying attention to the girl. "Now be gone."

The blonde ninja didn't require any further prompting, eagerly trotting off into the inky darkness and shifting shadows.

_Dragon-monkey-boar-rooster-snake..._ _Rabbit-Rabbit-dragon-ram-fish..._

Naruto stumbled through the blackness of his own mind with little in the way of reference. Seals continued to flash in the shadows around her and she turned back, finding the astral room she had departed replaced by the inky void. She took turned back around as visions of fire raged around her... _fighting... ANBU?_ Naruto stared as a fireball was released into one, obliterating nearly everything around him. A kunai flashed and a black haired boy came into view, another kunai in hand ready to throw.

_...Ranma?_

A tagged kunai flashed in from a different angle; one of the ANBU this time. White pain lit his void, and he flinched with the shock. Another kunai streaked in, and it exploded in white agony. Naruto's knees buckled as pain racked every nerve. Another blast of white light surrounded him...

_Ox-Ram-Horse..._

Naruto's blue eyes fought for focus as something beyond the black abyss came into view. It was incredibly blurry, but they looked like...

_...Snake-rabbit..._

...Hands? Her eyes blinked wider as the hands came into sharper detail, running through seals for their owner but producing no discernable effects. The hands were sideways skewed, but then so was her head. Blue eyes flicked up to find Ranma Saotome, concentrating on his own seal drills and pausing every other series, as if puzzling over something before continuing.

"Ranma...?"

The hands paused and the martial artists head snapped around, blue eyes finding his own open ones easily enough. Ranma was there, surprising, but not overly so. Naruto's own voice, however, was easily a much bigger surprise; more in keeping with his male anatomy than the female body he had been saddled with for the past few days. Naruto's blue eyes widened with the realization and he shot up, propping himself up out of the hospital bed and feeling his own body to ensure the correct parts were properly positioned.

"I'm a guy again!"

"God, if that doesn't sound familiar," Ranma snorted, abandoning his seal drilled in favor of his newly awakened friend. "Welcome back, 'Ruto. Had us all a bit worried."

"I...! You...!" Thoughts, memories and questions suffered a terminal train wreck as they fought an all out brawl to be heard within the blond's brain. He tore off the bed sheet and began to scramble for the edge when a sharp pain speared his head, causing his vision to blur.

Ranma lazily stood up from his seat to confront Naruto, pushing a single finger into his chest and forcing him back to bed in spite of the ninja's protests. "Yeah, yeah. Don't make me hit you with a sleep pressure point."

Naruto's mouth opened for another protest, but snapped shut with the threat he all but knew was a promise. He stared at Ranma for a moment, then the hospital around him. "I'm starting to hate this place."

"Yeah, well," Ranma shrugged, leaning back into the seat now that his charge was more or less placated. "The bed is probably the least of your problems now."

Naruto stilled, staring at his placid friend. "Old man is going to tear my head off, isn't he?"

"Heh," Ranma chuckled. "Can't be anything worse than what I already got. At least the demon chick tricked you. I can't use the same excuse, y'know?"

"I can't believe I actually fell for it, too!" Naruto knocked his fist against his head several times, shaking it irritably. "I assumed she meant..." Something about Ranma's words stalled his own self recrimination. "Um... What do you mean, 'same excuse'?"

"I think the words were 'Grand treason against Konoha' or something," The martial artist mused. "Wasn't paying attention through most of it, but they're dockin' my salary and limiting my access to special weapons. Can't go beyond the village walls without an escort until he's satisfied the threat is passed."

"I... Um... Oh." Were the only words to leave Naruto's mouth as realization sank in. "But... how could you help_... her_?"

"I had a promise to keep," Ranma smirked, tipping the chair he sat in back on two legs to lounge back.

Naruto stared. And stared. Somebody had risked _grand treason_ for him? Had bargained with _a demon _to secure his release? Sure, he had heard his friend say it, but people said a lot of things; and Naruto's upbringing had been filled with half truths and lies. Ranma was a friend, sure. Even somebody who he could learn super cool moves from. But to actually do that? For him?

"Oh please," The black haired boy snorted, spying the look out of the corner of his eye. "Don't go all mushy on me. 'Cides, I think you got the worse end of the deal anyway."

That jarred Naruto out of his introspective hero worship. "What? Why?"

Ranma rocked back to all four legs, shaking his head as he did so. "Because we had to change the deal to get you out."

"So?"

"So now you're gonna have to deal with tall, red, and foxy at some point," Ranma shook his head with flat sympathy, tapping at his own stomach to denote the seal they shared. "Hokage said he'd explain the whole thing during your debriefing, but she promised to behave..." The martial artist paused, cocking his head. "...I think. Anyway, I gotta go check on the girls. Get some rest."

With that, Ranma sauntered out of the hospital room and closed the door, only to have his blue eyes fall on the faceless mask of an ANBU, and a fully geared Kurenai Yuhi. The special forces ninja had been expected, as he had been on station upon arrival and would probably be there after his departure; such was the tension generated by Naruto's passenger. Kurenai, however, was a new addition, and much as the pigtailed boy wanted to emote surprise at the unexpected visit, he just couldn't bring himself up to that level of acting.

"I've already informed the girls that today's class has been cancelled," She began without preamble, beginning down the well lit hospital corridor while making it clear that he was to follow. Ranma did so silently, and she continued. "Your actions have put me in an unenviable situation, Saotome-san."

_And I'm sure that's the polite way to put it,_ the martial artist grimaced internally with the emotionless tone of her words and simply nodded, content to wait for the _other_ shoe to drop. He didn't have long.

"When the nine tails invaded, there were numerous... _casualties_," Kurenai continued with the slightest edge of frost coloring her words. "My own family did not fare so well. Many children were orphaned that day, and there is considerable resentment toward anything concerning the demon... regardless of how unjustified that resentment may be."

"Naruto," Ranma mumbled, and the Kunoichi nodded.

"And now, yourself," She returned, stopping just short of the hospital exit and the blue sky beyond to confront the martial artist who in turn winced with the reminder. "It also causes me to question the wisdom in putting a person who would willingly assist Kyuubi in charge of training a new generation of genin."

Ranma remained silent, staring out through the windowed door for a full minute before the woman beside him became impatient. "You do, of course, have a good explanation for potentially unleashing one of the most destructive forces Konoha has ever known upon our village?"

Ranma turned back to her with a stony expression, shaking his head. "What do ya want me to say, Yuhi-san? I'm sorry? You and I both know that ain't gonna cut it, and when it comes down to it, I really _ain't_."

Something in those red eyes staring down at him flickered with anger, but Ranma continued heedlessly now that his honor had been called into question. "You said it yourself-- 'Ruto's gotten the shaft from day one for shit he never even had a hand in; and from what I hear, damn little in the way of sympathy to help him along the way."

"There were other ways to--!" Kurenai opened her mouth to object, but the boy was pissed now, and he overrode the attempt hard.

"You people saddled a thirteen year old _kid_ with a goddamn psychopath kitsune, keep it secret from him and expect nothin' to go wrong?!" The martial artist retorted with a measure venom she had yet to see the child display. Even that was wrong; his words and tone far too adult in nature to belong to what was effectively a thirteen year old boy, and he jabbed an angry thumb over his shoulder. "'Ruto was up on the monument over there _terrified_ he'd do exactly what you're all scared of. You're all _damn lucky_ shit didn't hit the fan worse than it did, with or without me bein' here."

The woman's mouth opened to field her own objections in that moment, but her bitterness ran head long into reality before those thoughts even reached her mouth.

"I know," The kunoichi murmured instead, though Ranma wasn't even listening now. He turned to the door and shoved it open, leaving the woman in his wake.

"It's really shitty what happened to you and yours," The martial artist glared softened for a moment, then hardened. "But I'll tell ya the same thing I told the old man... I made the kid a promise and I ain't about to apologize for it."

The door swung open, and the office staff of the hospital waiting room watched as the thirteen year old boy who had just dressed down a jounin began to stomp out, when a single word stopped the child.

"Wait," Kurenai's gaze fell to the floor as her own indignation warred with a heavy dose of justified guilt. _"Please."_

Ranma waited at the open door, staring out into the foot traffic passing by the hospital entrance.

"Then I will ask just one thing of you, Saotome..." Ranma cocked his head, still not fully willing to turn back to the woman, but at least willing to hear the request out. The nin sighed, looking back up at the boy. "Promise me you will hold the girls in the same regard."

Silence hung in the air between them for a moment before Ranma stepped out into the daylight with a nodded.

"Done."

* * *

"**I** said get back here!"

A dainty hand cleaved the air with a sharp chop, narrowly missing the head that had occupied that same space only a fraction of a second before. The hand belonged to Ino Yamanaka, and she pulled it back on instinct to reset for a midrange taijutsu kick combination; only to watch as her target melted out of range. "Tenten, corner her!"

The head belonged to one Hinata Hyuga, whose opaque eyes widened at the snarled command as she in turn ducked out of the way of another round of punches. Her attention flicked over to her teammate Tenten, who closed in from her left flank and advanced with her own taijutsu combination. The Hyuga heir arched back just out of the leggy kick's range, watching as the girl recovered, spun in and set up for a hook-jab strike.

"Come on, Hinata-chan!" The ranged specialist complained as she hooked more air, a trend that had been continuing for herself and Ino for nearly twenty minutes now. "Just a little tap! She said we could quit if we touched you once!"

"G-Gomen!" The timid girl apologized as she profiled away from the blonde's next attack, taking a pivoting sidestep across the grass turf to avoid the simultaneous full court press from the brunette. Where Tenten's bun-bound hair remained styled and control, Ino's luscious golden ponytail whipped around like an angry banshee, losing an increasing amount of cohesion as the sparring progressed. "Saotome-san told me not to let you hit me..."

"It won't hurt one bit!" The blond took another wild shot at the girl, panting heavily as the high intensity workout took its toll. "We promise!"

Hinata sent a worried look back that sufficiently conveyed her fear and doubt as to the veracity of her sparring partner's claim, shuffling out of the attack's range in an innately graceful slide. Tenten reached in at the same time to grab her, but the she was far too slow for the girl, and telegraphed the move like a light house. Two quick hops across the grass and the Hyuga was clear of the setup as if it were little more than an inconvenience.

One hundred yards off to the sidelines of practice range four, Ranma grinned under the blue sky as she watched her students dart back and forth. The objective she had given Hinata's was quite simple... _Not to get hit._ In that, the redhead had appended the stipulation that the girl wasn't allowed to block or attack, something she had already determined was well within the shy girl's abilities. Conversely, it was Ino and Tenten's job to _hit_ the girl using only hand to hand attacks.

_'Hit' is probably too strong of a word_, Ranma chuckled to herself, watching the pair's largely futile efforts. They'd be lucky to even touch the girl, in her opinion. The level of hand to hand skills being employed was simply too vast, but then, that was the entire point of this exercise whether they knew it or not. Another round of blows thrust through the air impotently, and the redhead couldn't help but to shake her head. _Reminds me of me and Akane sparrin'_.

A tint of regret immediately followed the thought, but it was pushed to the side as more important things she could actually do something about occupied her attention. Hinata, for instance. The girl was a piece of work, and this little exercise was the best thing Ranma had come up with so far to at least mitigate whatever was happening at home. _Let her get used to friendly faces trying to hit her for a couple weeks, move her to active counters and throws, then hopefully- kami willing -I can get her to do some damage without her_ _worrin' about the person she's hittin'..._

Tenten and Ino, however, had a completely opposite problem, and she was hoping their interaction with Hinata would get them used to working at the speeds she needed out of them... _Among other things_, Ranma quipped to herself. In the practice range beyond, the pair were nearly worn out; both sweaty and nearly exhausted, while Hinata was only starting to feel the fatigue. Whatever it was their normal sensei was teaching them, it was subpar in the martial artist's opinion, and she was hoping that chasing Hinata around would build up their stamina and coordination in the process. _Maybe some mutual respect too_, the redhead nodded to herself, hoping that she herself was on steering her first students ever down the right track.

"I'm seriously going to have to borrow you for the chuunin exams," The woman next to Ranma smirked, clearly entertained by the antics in the field beyond. The martial artist chuckled at the black haired woman she had come to know as Anko Mitarashi. "Too bad they took away the tags, though."

"Smoke ones too," The redhead grumped, thinking of all the uses she had for the devices. Ranma furrowed an eyebrow at the ponytail spiked woman. "Besides, aren't ya supposed to be hiding in the bushes ready to assassinate me at a moment's notice?"

"Got better things to do," she quipped back, then burbled with laughter as Ino tripped over herself, tumbling to the ground in a failed offensive against Hinata. The amusement subsided and she continued. "Besides, you already knew I was there, so why bother?"

"True," Ranma shrugged as she too watched the girl flounder on the ground. Tenten paused and Hinata stepped up to the blonde with a worried expression on her face. The martial artist couldn't help but to smile now. "Hey, watch this."

Anko watched curiously as Hinata held out her hand to help her teammate, when said teammate suddenly lunged at her, taking a calculated, if somewhat wild swipe at the Hyuga heir. "Oh! Feisty one, there!"

Ino scrambled up to take advantage of the girl's lack of guard, and the tactic might have worked if she had been less winded or Hinata a tad slower. Neither variable was on Ino's side, however and the mad scramble that ensued caused both females a hearty laugh until a new voice cut through air.

"RANMA!"

The redhead blinked as the obnoxious call cut through the air, readily identifiable as Naruto Uzumaki. _A guy Naruto_, she chortled internally, and turned to wave the genin over. The demon container trotted over with an oblivious smile as he negotiated the steps down into grass-concrete bowl that made up the practice range. His mouth opened to say something, but then turned a curious glance over to the woman as if he hadn't noticed her until just now.

"Hey, who's she?" The blond questioned, giving the feral looking woman beside Ranma a once over.

"Anko-chan," Ranma nodded to the woman. "She's here to cut off our heads if we misbehave."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"And your hands," Anko added with a heavy dose of mirth. "Can't let those secret jutsus fall into enemy hands, after all."

"Can we negotiate which hand?" Ranma cocked her head as she enjoyed her verbal sparring with the obnoxious nin

"Bring some dango for me and we'll negotiate anything you want," The purple eyed kunoichi nodded, and after a moment, both burst out laughing. Naruto simply stood to the side, taking turns staring at both incredulously.

"You have weird friends, Ranma."

"You're one of 'em, so go figure," The martial artist snorted and finally returned her attention to the field where a blonde and a brunette were barely managing to keep up with their black haired quarry. "Looks like it's about time to call this one."

"But you said I can train too!" Naruto blustered upon realizing that he was missing out on his friend's training, even if he had no idea what the training consisted of. His protest carried across the field to rest on the ear of one Hinata Hyuga, who was instantly distract by the voice of her crush. The momentary lapse in her guard was catastrophic, allowing Ino to dive in and line tackle her target, immediately followed by Tenten. Hinata was only allowed a split second worth of realization before she was buried under the girls.

"Owie," Ranma winced with the impact, and the kunoichi next to him broke out in hysterical laughter.

"BWAHAHAHAHAH!!!" Anko cackled as the tangle of girls tumbled to the ground. "Oh, God! This is great!"

Even Naruto cringed with the impact, especially when it concerned somebody like Hinata. Still, he wouldn't be stayed from his course, and confronted Ranma again. "Well?"

Ranma kept his gaze on the floundering girls a moment longer to ensure their safe recovery before turning back to the orange clad genin. "Well what? This is kunoichi training 'Ruto, and you sure as heck don't look like a look like no girl."

The boy's face scrunched up and Ranma simple shook her head. "I really hope you're not plannin' that again."

"I MOST DEFINITELY AM!" Naruto proclaimed, prompting Ranma to simply roll her eyes. Instead of paying attention to the buildup of energy emanating from the boy, she turned to the girls who had almost returned to an upright standing. Ino was cheering, all but dancing with her victory.

"Stop playing cheerleader and get back here!" Ranma yelled across the field, instantly earning a dirty look from the blonde; though she complied, as did her teammates. Chakra had meanwhile manifested into the visible spectrum, and Anko watched as it began to _eat_ at the boy. Before, she had only witnessed the phenomenon at a distance. Now she was up close, watching as the blond literally melted into a girl before her very eyes.

"You have some weird friends, Saotome," Anko quipped with slight awe as the demonic chakra evaporated, releasing the girl from the considerable strain she had endured.

"You got no idea," Ranma shook her head, turning her eyes on the now female Naruto Uzumaki. The blonde girl racked her head side to side to work out the kinks in a pair of noticeable cracks, then adjusted her orange jacket to allow her quite noticeable charms more comfort.

"See?" Naruto proclaimed, her voice pitching higher with female vocal chords.

"Oh jeez, not this again," Ino sighed upon sighting Naruto, while Tenten at her side merely cocked her curiously at the girl. Hinata trailed behind the girls with a bright pink blush that Ranma couldn't help but to notice, filing the fact away for later examination.

_Or maybe I'll use it now_, the marital artist grinned evilly and sighted the Hyuga. ""Nata, over here."

It took a few moments for the girl to tear her attentions away from Naruto, walking dutifully over to her teacher. "Um, yes Sensei? I'm sorry I got--"

"You did great 'Nata-chan," Ranma complimented, leading the girl slightly away from the group. "With this and the food challenge yesterday. In fact, ya did so well I need your help again."

"I did?" The black haired girl blinked. "You do?"

"Yep," Ranma piped cheerfully, trying to literally will confidence into the girl. "Now I need your help with Naruto."

The blush deepened, all but confirming the redhead's suspicions as she ruthlessly played the fault for all it was worth. The Byakugan heir twittered her fingers nervously. "Naruto-kun... needs help?"

"Your help," Ranma confirmed. "Ya think you can go another round of tag with him?"

Her opaque eyes widened as she sucked in a sharp breath. _Oh yeah_, Ranma smiled internally. _Girl's got it bad_.

"I... I think so..."

"Remember, same deal as with the girls," She elaborated. "I don't want ya to hit her and I don't want ya to block her. Just keep them from touching you."

"I... It shouldn't be a..." Hinata's voice trailed off as she parsed her sensei's wording. "Um, 'them', sensei?"

"You'll see," Ranma nodded, leading the girl back to the waiting group, who were gathered around Naruto and pumping him for questions. _Better her than me_, she snorted mentally and called for his attention. "Naruto! Time to train!"

The blonde girl- who was a striking match next to Ino -separated himself from the others decisively and was bouncing with energy. "What are we doing first, Ranma?"

"You get to tag 'Nata-chan," The martial artist defined the objective, then outlined the rules. "Use any taijutsu form you want. No ranged weapons and only one shadow clone."

"Got it, boss!"

"Sneaky bitch," Anko mumbled as she stepped up to Ranma, who in turn took her discriptive as a compliment. Naruto summoned more chakra and a clone of his male self poofed into existence. The male shadow clone took a look at his female self and then its own body, frowning.

"This just won't do _at all_."

Naruto blinked and even Ranma stared as the similarly orange clad clone stepped away from the group, melting as it did so. Ranma's eyes widened and she interposed herself between the malfunctioning clone and her students. "All of yas get back. _Now._ Ko-chan?"

"Got it," The woman was all business now and a tagged kunai slipped into her hand as she flanked the construct. Two masked ANBU instantly landed around the shifting clone, weapons already cleared for action while the retreating genin were all but stunned by the sudden appearance of such heavy artillery.

"There's no need for that, now," The clone chided their group with a distinctly feminine voice; one that Ranma recognized immediately. Even through the clone was still a mass of color and shadow, it was taking on a distinctive red hue, a portion of which the martial artist _knew_ would form into a long red mane of hair. It did seconds later, realigning itself to a stunning female figure clad in a crimson kimono with white leaves tracing across it. The newly formed woman turned around with a patronizing smile for her audience. "Much better."

"YOU!" Naruto blurted and surged forward at the woman, only to be blocked by Ranma.

"Not now, 'Ruto-kun," She hissed, turning back to the woman warily.

"Indeed," Her tone took on as much distain as the look she shot Naruto. "I have a name, brat. Is it a lack of cognitive function that prevents you from its use?"

"I'll call you whatever I damn well want, Fox!" Naruto shoved her way past the martial artist, charging in headlong. The attempt was short lived as the kitsune woman met his wild grab, sidestep, and locked his right shoulder, flipping him into the ground where he tumbled a good five meters before stopping. The ANBU tensed to intervene and the demoness sniffed contemptuously at their caution.

"Seriously now. What am I to do? Harm my own container?" She scoffed, turning back to Naruto as if the special forces ninja were of little consequence. The blonde girl charged again, tearing through the intervening space. One moment she had the redheaded woman in her sights, the next there was ground-sky-ground-sky-

"Ooof!" The blond ate dirt again. Even the other girls of special team thirteen felt the impact, wincing as the blonde girl regained her senses. "Oooowwww..."

Kyuubi turned to Ranma with a thoroughly bored expression on her face. "Please tell me you are not the one in charge of this welp's instruction, kit."

"Damage control," Ranma shook her head, thinking the same thoughts, but with several layers more sympathy applied.

"Perhaps not a completely lost cause then," She shrugged, watching the orange clad girl pick herself up out of the grass and dirt for another pass. The woman rolled her red eyes. "_Must_ we do this again?"

"We're done when I say--!"

"You're done 'Ruto," Ranma stated, patting the girl on the shoulder and stepping up to the demoness. "Ain't you got better shit to do then pester us?"

"The seal is a cold and dark place, replete with stone, crystal and bars," Kyuubi cast a dry look down at the girl confronting her. "Suffice to say, _no_, I have little better to do than patronize the monkeys in this village, however impotent my current form is."

Anko studied the redheaded pair's interaction for a moment, then made a judgment call; nodding to each one of the ANBU on her flank, then motioned back toward the nearest cover. Both produced slight nods of their own and poofed out of existence. She returned her attention to Ranma with a wary eye out for the kitsune. "Was hijacking a shadow clone part of the terms, Ranma?"

"Not specifically," Ranma attempted to recall the relevant information. "But somethin' tells me she loves dancin' in the gray as much as Nabs does."

"Um, Excuse me, Sensei..." Hinata forwarded timidly as the kitsune woman took in the environment around her, only to have her concern overridden by the other obnoxious blonde in their group.

"But who the heck is she!?" Ino blurted. The oddities of their guest had not gone unnoticed, including the plush red tails that flowed from beneath the kimono and triangular ears rising from her crimson hair. The woman paused in her surveying, turning back to the girl with a sinister smile.

"Who am _I_, little monkey?" The smile the woman produced allowed her fangs clear visibility, and Ino's breath caught up in that moment. Red eyes focused on her, and the blonde girl took a nervous step back.

"Maybe she's sensei's creepy older sister," Tenten leaned in with a hushed whisper as the demoness examined them as if they were morsels of food.

"With a tail and ears?!" The Yamanaka heir hissed back, keeping her distance out of an intense need for self preservation.

"Ino! Hinata! Tenten!" Anko barked sternly, pulling their attention away from the woman. "Over here, now. Ranma?"

"Gotcha," Ranma walked over, grabbing the still glaring Naruto by the collar and all but dragging her to the gathering circle. The kitsune woman merely watched with amusement as Anko prepared to debrief Special Team Thirteen.

"Listen up kiddos," Purple eyes glanced at them one by one to ensure their complete and undivided attention. " Remember the general alert that screwed up all the traffic and cancelled your lesson yesterday? Ranma's sister over there is the cause. She is also an S-Rank secret, got it?"

Ranma sent a put out look her way in response to the comment, to which Anko smiled sweetly. Wide eyes met the announcement from everybody else, but Naruto jumped in with her own objection. "But Anko-sensei, she's--"

"NARUTO!" Anko was suddenly in the girl's face, her eyes flashing with deadly intent. "Remember _why_ the Hokage told you this was an S-Class secret?"

Naruto gaped, desperately wanting to blurt out just who the woman was, but Sarutobi's words were instantly recalled... _Not just for your safety, but for those around you as well... _Naruto's mouth hung opened another moment longer as the demon's name tried to fight its way past her vocal chords, only to fail under the reminder. "Yes, sensei."

"Good," Anko nodded, pulling back away to consider the group as a whole. "Consider this your first long term mission. The less people know about her, the better, and you are not to divulge the details of your interactions with her to_ anybody_, clear?"

"Yes sensei!" The girls piped, and she silently handed the briefing off to Ranma with a nod.

"A few other things," The smaller redhead motioned back to Kyuubi. "She's sneaky as hell. Don't trust her, and you're not to- under _any_ circumstances -make her a promise, got it?"

"Wow, you and your sister must have had a bad time growing up," Tenten remarked. Ranma's cheek twitched.

"And how did she get a tail and ears?!" Ino boggled, to which Anko stepped in with a smile.

"Naruto, why does Ranma's sister have a tail and ears?"

Naruto sent a glare her way, but answered anyway. "It's an S-Class secret, sensei."

"Very good." The kunoichi patted her quick study on the head. "And that goes for the rest of your questions."

"But... Anko sensei..." Hinata raised her hand gingerly from the back, as if she were in a class. "She's a shadow--"

"S-Class secret."

Hinata blinked. "I think--"

"S-class," Anko folded her arms imperviously.

"She's--"

"Secret." The kunoichi bored on the girl, all but challenging her to ask again. The Hyuga opened her mouth, and Anko was already on top of her with the run-on sentance. "_It's-an-S-class-secret._"

The girl looked down sullenly and the woman's smile grew triumphantly. Ranma simply shook her head, calling an end to their little briefing. "'Ruto, 'Nata... Go play tag. No and Ten, you earned your break. Go take it."

The group dispersed and Anko Mitarashi cast a critical eye to the kitsune, who smirked back at her. "You got this Ran-chan? Hokage is going to want a report on this one ASAP."

The girl blinked at the familiar title Anko had employed, but shook it off, nodding. "Yeah, go on. If she causes too much trouble, I'll just pop her with a kunai."

"Sounds good." And with that, the kunoichi was away at an easy walk, following the path out of the bowl shaped depression that made up practice range six.

Ranma turned back to the demoness, returning to her proximity with a frown. "Don't suppose I can just convince you to go away or somethin'?"

"Why not just 'pop me with a kunai' as you so eloquently put it?" Kyuubi returned in haughty tone, watching as Hinata began weaving in and out of Naruto's sloppily assembled attack patterns. "To answer your question, kit; even as mundane as the monkeys at play are, their activities are infinitely more interesting than an astral cage of iron and rock."

Ranma grunted an acknowledgement, still having yet not found the heart to simply remove her from the only sensory input the creature had seen in over a decade with the swipe of a blade. It was also a pointed reminder of just how pathetic her own passenger was, trapped in its own seal. Even as the Saotome was lost in thought, Kyuubi stared down at her, studying yet another aspect of her new environment.

"Just what are you, little one?" She finally indulged in the curiosity she didn't have time for during their life and death run through the village only a day earlier. "A shape shifter, the odd strands of life force... Your skills and mannerisms are far outside the monkeys of similar age. Even your thinking retains a thread of sanity."

"Hmmf," Ranma didn't even bother looking up with the dry chuckle. "Just another monkey like Naruto over there."

"A monkey like Naruto_...Hmmm_," Something about the disbelief carrying through in the statement prompted the martial artist to look up, and when she did, slitted red eyes were all but devouring her with curiosity. "Do not play me for the fool, child. You're no more human than the welp is."

Ranma's face suddenly lost any ability to convey emotion as the statement was processed then processed again... And failed.

It was also one she just _knew_ she would be thinking about for a long time to come.

* * *

**Ye Ol Author's Notes:** And a Snappy New Year to you! I guess I should address all the obligatory 'I thought this was dead' and 'Don't take a year to update next time' comments I'll undoubtedly be receiving; and justifiably so. Writer's block combined with an insidious Warcraft habit attributed to the massive writing delay on all fronts, but you'll be happy to know I've put a stake through Blizzard's heart with permanence. Yes, I even went so far to delete every high level character I had. Many Bothans died to cleanse that game from my hard drive, so enjoy. Their blood is on your hands.

Kaze Houshutsu – _A minor wind jutsu used to dispel a given area of atmospheric effects, such as smoke and fog. I made this up for lack of anything better. Last 1d4 turns/level. _

Currency - _The Ryo is the standard monetary instrument of Konoha, but what do you have when something costs less than a Ryo? Such as a cheap, delicious crepe? I have designated "__akagane" toward this end, otherwise known as "copper". Yes, Warcraft's grasp on my soul is insidious indeed._

Snozberries - _They taste just like them._

**Special Thanks** - Yeah, well, just about everybody. DCG and Material Blade, Kristofer, Gundamace and darn near everybody in the previous chapters not mentioned here. Mistakes left over after their whack at my fic are my sole responsibility.

**Side Note;** I will be opening up a fic contest in the near future for the Ranma genre, with a pair of _real_ prizes at stake. I have yet to determine the subject matter and am still assembling judges, but keep an eye out on my ffnet hompage for details. Comments or questions concerning this should be sent to my email, _not_ the review page, That's ozzallos at hotmail or gmail, your choice :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Tales of the FoxCat  
Chapter 9**

_By Ozzallos_**  
**

**A** pair of blue eyes flicked up from the text book they had been study, tracing across the classroom that both their owner and Iruka Umino had occupied for the last twenty minutes. The book itself was a primer on the basics of chakra human anatomy written for an age bracket considerably lower than the person reading it at that very moment; One Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts and instructor to Special Kunoichi Team Thirteen. Most of the martial artist's former friends would have found it unlikely that the Saotome would have been found to spend his free time willingly inside a classroom, but then those friends hadn't seen the inside of _this_ particular classroom.

Simply put, it was wall to wall martial arts; replete with volumes devoted exclusively to basic hand to hand combat, sharp weapons hanging from the wall and detailed pull-down scrolls that denoted vital human physiology. If one were to study the classroom's main blackboard, they would have found a crudely scrawled picture of a kunai accompanied by several arcs that denoted the best angles at which it should be throw within a specified range. Overall, it was all quite relevant to the interest of the martial arts heir, even though the waiting was beginning to wear thin.

Ranma turned the page and was greeted by a chart of seals and their component effects. This too would have been agreeable if it hadn't been the third time reading it. The book had been committed to memory on the first pass, and each subsequent pass was little more than filler until the main event. So far that main event had yet to transpire, prompting a sigh from black haired boy.

"He ain't comin'."

Iruka paused, looking up from behind the desk and the scroll he had been tending to with an apologetic look of his own that wrinkled the scar running across his nose. "Maybe he just got caught up in business. He is the clan head, after all."

"Or maybe he's found the perfect excuse to give me the shaft." Ranma commented in a acerbic tone, standing up from the student desk he had been tending.

The academy instructor wanted to insert some level of optimism into the bleak statement, but just couldn't see much in it himself. The Hyuuga clan head had never been particularly discrete about how he felt concerning the assistance he was encouraged to provide to the boy before him, and his recent involvement in the Kyuubi incident had more than likely provided just the leverage needed to blow Ranma's chakra studies off entirely.

Instead of trying to sugar coat the situation for the child that was quite obviously not a child, Iruka simply produced a terse nod. "That is a possibility as well."

"Who do you think made the 'Grand Treason' comment at the hearing?" The pigtailed boy snorted contemptuously, flipping the study book to another random page that he had all but memorized. He stared for a moment, briefly scanning its contents for any information he may have actually missed in his first read through before turning away to one of the wall scrolls. This particular one advertised the full length outline of a human body filled with a series of interconnecting colored tracks that wound through its internal structure. "Screw him. The more time I spend around 'Nata, the more he pisses me off. Probably would end up havin' to kick his ass on principle, just like my old man."

"Uh, right," The genin instructor winced; if not for his charge's words, then for the audacity they contained. There weren't many in the village that would court the idea of open violence with the Hyuuga clan head, and the fact that a child was among those few was surreal enough. "Then maybe we should plan our own studies...?"

"Best idea I got," The boy nodded with the intention of putting Hiashi's slight behind him. "Anything coming to mind?"

"Perhaps," Iruka stood up, stepping out from around his desk while studying the young martial artist with a critical eye. "We need something that will build your rei... Without inducing the same effects that we managed the first time you tried to harness it."

"Yeah, ain't too fond of the dirt naps myself," Ranma frowned, thinking on the manner. "I could try pulling smaller amounts?"

"Possibly, although I think we may have to look at this from a different angle," The nin shook his head, turning to the hanging scroll that Ranma had been studying only moments before. "Incremental usage may help, but I don't think that your dilemma differs greatly from my students..."

"Yeah?" Ranma cocked his head, staring at the instructor now that he had captured his undivided attention.

"Definitely," Iruka nodded, pulling out one of the student chairs and turning it around to sit into comfortably. He faced the Team Thirteen lead with a studied look across his facial features. "We build ki and rei up in our children because prior to your arrival, there was no choice; They were interlinked and inseparable, so they grew together. You, on the other hand, have developed your ki to such a degree that rei is all but unnecessary... And I think half of our problem is that in spite of our attempts, your ki is so prominent that it inhibits our study of the rei."

"I think I see where you're coming from," Ranma chewed on the hypothesis himself, drumming his fingers to the desk. "You want me to turn it down or something, right?"

"Assuming such a thing is possible." The scarred ninja shrugged with a measure of doubt intrinsic in his voice. "If we could lessen the background noise of your ki, it would make studying your rei easier... And while a Hyuuga would be ideal to map the results, we still have a number of specialists that can-"

_Knock-knock._

Both sets of eyes turned to the classroom doorway to find a girl nearly Ranma's physical age, peeking into the room. Even if Ranma hadn't recognized the thirteen year old's features immediately, her silvered opaque eyes were unmistakable, and he favored the shy girl with a nod. "What's up, 'Nata-chan?"

The girl's eyes widened as if she didn't expect to be directly addressed, but stepped into the room regardless. Iruka smiled pleasantly as well, but was already having his own suspicions over the girl's coincidental arrival. "What can we do for you, Hinata?"

"I... it's... He told me..." The Hyuuga heir stuttered, her gaze drifting to the ground with a pensive expression inhabiting her face.

Ranma had come to the same conclusion his instructor had already silently come to, and shrugged indifferently for the girl's benefit. "S'kay, 'Nata. We aren't gonna bite your head off."

The girl's eyes flicked back up with the slight reprieve and she tried to begin anew. "My father... says... He won't... he's _can't_ participate in your studies. He... he sends his regrets."

"I'm sure he does," Ranma snorted derisively, and Hinata's head lowered with the fractional shame that came in being the bearer of bad news; especially when said bad news involved not only her father, but her sensei as well. The black haired boy glanced back to Iruka in sarcasm. "At least he had the balls to tell us himself, right?"

The instructor had the good grace to merely cough politely at the blunt missive before Ranma turned back to Hinata. "Ain't your fault and we were kinda expecting it. See ya at class around five... Unless he's yanked you out of those, too?"

"N-No, Sensei."

_Accusing me of demonic alliances but still letting the same guy teach his daughter, _Ranma grumbled internally, suppressing yet another choice comment about Hinata's father from being aired aloud. _Old man Hyuuga and the Panda could probably trade notes..._

"At least there's that." The martial artist mused instead, smiling for the girl's benefit.

"Is... is there a message you would... like me to d-deliver back?" Hinata asked timidly after having moved toward the door. In truth, she had never strayed far from it, but at least there was a fraction less worry inhabiting her expression.

"No. I'm sure we'll be fine, Hinata-chan." Her former instructor smiled easily, verbally inserting himself before Ranma could fire off another choice insult. The reply shaved off another concern that would undoubtedly plague her. She was nearly through the door with a final nod when Ranma stopped her.

"Hey, wait!" The martial artist hopped up from his seat with sudden realization, causing the girl to freeze in her tracks.

"Um... Yes, sensei?"

"You got the same eyes as your old man, right?" Ranma asked expectantly, to which the girl nodded faintly. "Good!"

"Sensei?" Curiosity had pushed aside any fear the situation may have induced with her teacher's brightening attitude... Until he began to undo the clasps on his dark blue shirt. Her eyes widened as the material gave way to toned flesh. "I... ah...uhuh...eh...what... what..."

Ranma produced a roguish grin, completely oblivious to the girl's mounting discomfort. He undid the final clasp and shrugged the shirt off, letting it float to the desk. "...Cuz I'm gonna need your help with all this."

The Hyuuga heir's hyperventilating then began in earnest.

* * *

**A**n hour later, a busty, redheaded martial artist departed the academy grounds in equal parts guilt and triumph. The guilt came from Hinata Hyuuga, whom had nearly passed out under the embarrassment of having to trace the lines of her instructor's rei across his bare male chest. By the time they had worked through the initial mapping, the girl had nearly fallen unconscious twice, forcing Ranma to fetch a glass of water and revert to his female aspect in order not to render the girl comatose.

_Coulda mentioned she had x-ray vision before I took the shirt off_, Ranma grumped mildly before her thoughts drifted to the person who actually did fall comatose.

_That _particular honor went to Iruka Umino, and Ranma resolved to don her shirt next time before changing genders after traumatizing two individuals by similar means in less than fifteen minutes. Still, her ego was heartened to confirm that regardless of her lost years, 'Ranko' still had a formidable arsenal. Possibly not quite as large as Hinata's at the same age, but Ranma knew from experience that she would grow into those as well.

_And in a couple of years they'll be downright obnoxious_, The martial artist chortled with amusement; amusement tempered by a measure of irritation in knowing that she would be forced to beat the pervs away with a stick once again._ At least their ain't no Happosai 'round here,_ she shivered with the recollection.

Three prefectures northwest of Ranma's current position, a certain white haired sannin sneezed at that exact moment.

Rocky, though their start may have been, there had been measured progress. Ranma had pushed her ki down as low as it could go, and while it still shown brightly to Hinata's bloodline, the wisps of rei flowing through the red head's system could be seen. The ideal remedy would have been to cut her ki off to an absolute minimum since the rei was still washed out in some areas, but the martial artist only knew of one method of doing so, and she was going to have to think it through before committing to the action.

_It all comes back to Happosai_, Ranma shook her head, merging into the main artery of pedestrian traffic outside of the academy and into what was shaping up to be a partly cloudy day with an inclination to rain upon any hapless Jusenkyo cursed martial artist unlucky enough to get caught within its downpour. Since there was only one immediately available, Ranma had to assume that was herself, and was thus marginally relieved that the transformation had already taken place in a more or less controlled environment. Her thought process turned back to the perverted gnome a full world away with a slight feeling of unease.  
_  
First the five yen technique, now the ultimate weakness moxibustion_, Ranma shook her head, chewing on the disquieting revelation. There had been little opportunity to think on it before, but in being so directly relevant now, it begged the question: _Why does the old freak have so many life force altering techniques in his possession anyway?_ Theoretically she could just seal the ki herself with the weakness moxibustion. Happosai had hit that very point and she had the map that held it and its counter committed to memory, though self experimentation wasn't something Ranma was going to commit herself lightly too; especially with what was at stake if she screwed up. _Ain't exactly looking forward to let 'Nata in on that knowledge, either, but if she's gonna help..._

Ranma's thought process stalled as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Blue eyes flicked over the crowed, but she kept her movements calm in order to keep from alerting whomever it was that was undoubtedly spying on her from knowing that _she_ could feel the hostile intent being leveled upon her person. ANBU are usually better than that, she noted as she began to mentally eliminate suspect while acknowledging the fact that in a village full of ninja, everybody was a suspect. With those thoughts in mind, she altered her route, turning down a side alley which substantially reduced the foot traffic around her. The source of the hostility predictably followed, lessening her enthusiasm for the upcoming encounter.

_Amateur_, she sniffed, exiting the other end of the alley and crossing the sidewalk into one of the many wooded areas that wound through Konoha at seeming random. In her mind, she should have never detected the spy if his or her skill had been somewhere above sub-par, but she had, and now it was up to her to make the game entertaining. Ranma stepped behind an anonymous tree, now that she had a good idea of where the threat was emanating from and committed her ki to the Umi Sen Ken, vanishing from the visible spectrum to in turn wait for her mysterious spy to get bored and come find out what happened to her.

She didn't have to wait very long.

A spiky black haired teen in a blue shirt and cargo shorts jumped down from his tree borne concealment and rushed the tree she had hidden behind, only to find it devoid of the redhead. Ranma watched his cheek twitch with the formation of a snarl before he turned away, trying to divine her location. _Sasuke_, the name floated to Ranma's recollection; and with it some of the details Iruka had imparted to her in an early visit. _Clan mysteriously bit the dust with him and his older absent brother as the only survivors. Wonder what he wants..?_

With that thought, Ranma decided to find out; dropping the cloak while his back was still turned. The Uchiha heir stiffened immediately, registering her presence and whirling around to find the red headed kunoichi leaning lethargically against the tree with bored expression on her face. The focal point of hostility gained more heat and she showed her appreciation with a wide yawn. After another full minute of silent brooding, Ranma cocked her head lazily. "You're still able to speak, right? Pink suck your tonsils out already?"

The Uchiha's jaw clenched but he otherwise failed to move. Ranma arched a mental eyebrow as she wondered just what was grating against his ego enough for the kid not to take the shot she was all but baiting him to take. The answer came out with his next words.

"Train me." It took a moment for the words to process and then another for her to roll their improbable meaning around in her brain. When they finally did, the red head nearly choked on her own laughter.

"Train _you?_" Ranma blinked with incredulity and mirth, causing Sasuke's fists to ball tightly. "And why would I be doing that?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and the redhead watched as the genin's patience was pressed to the limit in a way that silently taunted her to push it over the precipice. "I need to kill somebody. _You're_ going to help me."

The response caused Ranma a brief, unexpected pause before she simply shook her head. The slightest edge of disappointment tinted her words, "Just like the goddamn Pig after all. Nah. Think I'll pass."

The feeling of hostility directed at her flashed into something more lethal, but Ranma had been there and done that, leaving the patronizing smirk for the boy to chew on. He quivered with anger but somehow remained stationary, burning into the redhead with his gaze. "You'll train the dobe and not me?"

"Sure, why not?" Ranma shrugged with an easy smile, knowing just how close to the edge the kid was. She decided to give his ego just the nudge it needed. "He ain't the one with his panties in a-"

The slightest growl escaped the Uchiha's lips as his temper went critical. Sasuke's initial lunge was a killing blow with a knife edge aimed for the neck and respectable speed behind it... _If _he had been dealing with another academy graduate. The girl in front of him was the furthest thing from that, however, and the close range did not figure as decisively as Sasuke thought it would. The blow was intercepted and his wrist twisted at the joint. The arm was forced around and the next thing the Uchiha heir knew, his right arm was locked behind his back by the red blur. He tried to roll out of the maneuver, but his legs were gone as she drove him to the ground face first with her knee. The entire engagement had lasted less than five seconds, and now Ranma sat atop the spiky haired boy's back while he struggled for any leverage against the girl.

"LET-_phhpt_!- LET ME GO-AHAR!" Sasuke raged while spitting grass away from his mouth, only to have the girl pull on his arm harder.

"You're hardly in a position to be makin' demands, dumbass." Ranma advised in a dry tone, rolling her eyes as the genin she straddled bucked. "And what'd I tell you about the killin' intent crap?"

"I'll rip your lungs out!" The ninja in training hissed, still struggling for purchase against Ranma's lock until her free hand poked at two points at the back of his neck. The boy suddenly fell limp and Ranma rocked back to her feet, walking around in front of him and within the range of his vision. A smirking face and a pair of blue eyes bobbed down within his view, incensing him further.

"Now why don'tcha tell me why you're _really_ here?" The genin remained silent, apart from the noticeable struggle that rippled across his face as his brain attempted purposeful communication with any muscle lower than his neck. Ranma cocked her head, as if straining to listen and after a moment, shrugged. "Your choice I guess. See ya."

Sasuke had no choice but to watch as the redheaded girl turned away, while he in turn willed his body to respond. _Nothing._ Another attempt, and the girl was getting further away. She turned into a thicket of brush and out of sight, prompting the heir to snarl. "MY _BROTHER!_"

The girl leaned back into sight, now curious. She began to walk back over, and crouched down back into his vision. "Your _brother?"_

"He killed them all," Sasuke growled, a growl that would have been more menacing if not for the tufts of grass wedging its way into his mouth from the ground. "He killed them all and made me... to _watch_. He'll pay... for _everything_."

It was probably the first thing the boy had said that Ranma wouldn't outright poke with a stick, and her expression lapsed into one of neutrality. "Better reason than a bread feud, I guess, but it ain't gonna work."

"I'll _make_ it work," The Uchiha glowered up at his tormentor. "I'll take the power I need and rip the life from his body just like he did the clan."

"And I suppose you're lookin' for the next big super move to do it, huh?" Ranma sniffed, but with far less contempt than her previous insults. Sasuke's face strained again, but the pressure points held his body fast. "And what makes ya think he ain't out there learnin' his own? Ya really think somebody like that is out there twiddlin' his thumbs, waitin' for his little brother to come and off him?"

"I'LL _KILL_ HIM!"

"You'll get your ass kicked. Techniques alone ain't gonna win you this one," Ranma shook her head, sighing. With that she rocked back up to her diminutive height and began to walk away. "Think about it."

"You can't leave me here!" Sasuke roared, fighting the paralysis that had been inflicted upon him. Nothing moved and the redhead stepped out of sight. _"I HAVE TO KILL HIM!"_

Ranma Saotome continued walking.

* * *

**T**hree hundred miles north of Konoha, another Uchiha sat on a bare rock outcropping that overlooked the border separating Rain Country from Fire country. To his back, the clouds flowed heavily across the broken blue sky, scraping across the mountainous border, depositing the bulk of their moisture before skirting on into Fire. Itachi Uchiha's own cloud print cloak flapped in the breeze as he scanned the horizon that was his destination... And waited. His massive partner- a creature that resembled some misshapen fusion between man and shark - continued to tend to their fire within a geologic overhang that shielded the bulk of their camp from the wind. He, too, waited; though with less patience.

"Tell me why we took this God forsaken pass again, Itachi?"

The Uchiha in question didn't even bother to look back at his partner, and instead continued his study of the Fire Country horizon as if there was something he could discern across the expanse of sky the. Instead of the snarky reply the rhetorical question easily merited, the Konoha exile responded with a calm demeanor. "If we were stalking the Raccoon or the Cat, a more direct approach would have been favorable."

"A waste of time," Kisame grunted, throwing more wood on the anemic fire. Even shielded by the rock, the wind created enough back draft to threaten his efforts and ultimately their meal. "Let them know we're coming... We will spill their _blood_."

"They are unaware as of the moment," The calmer of the pair replied, still staring into the distance. "Should that change, they may well feel it necessary to invest more into that which has languished. A skilled container harnessing the nine tails would be_... problematic_."

"If it bleeds, we can kill it," Razor teeth grinned at Itachi's back in anticipation. "Still, why the fools didn't turn the whelp into the weapon he's destined to be is beyond me."

The feral smiling continued until the nin turned back around slowly, leveling an emotionless gaze on the larger man. The shark's grin persisted for a moment before faltering under the eerie gaze of Itachi's red Sharingan eyes and the tomoe therein. While it wasn't obvious what had earned the Uchiha's undivided attention, it was clear that the comment wasn't appreciated. Kisame turned back to the fire to stir the coals, sans grin.

Itachi returned his attention to the horizon, and his red eyes immediately caught a black speck offset against the horizon. While his eyes had degraded just enough not to be able to determine the exact composition of the spot, he could feel the chakra as his own and immediately knew what it was before the first bray of a crow reached his ears.

The eldest Uchiha held out his arm as the black bird circled once, then twice; finally swooping in with the back sweep of its black wings for an easy landing on his sleeve. The moment it touched his person, the crow exploded with a mild poof of smoke. Itachi closed his eyes as its memories rebounded into him through the snuffed out line of chakra, and with it, their unit's mutual instructions.

"Well?"

"We will make a stop in Tando, but the original time table is still on," Itachi advised, reviewing the memories in detail as Kisame stepped away from the fire's warmth to join his partner. "Intelligence reports Orochimaru is moving in Suna, as well."

"More blood to be spilt," The grin reappeared, thought it was easily discerned through his tone. "Perhaps we'll deal with the traitor first?"

"Unnecessary," Itachi shook his head, causing the shark faced nin some small amount of disappointment. "Orochimaru is as obsessed with Konoha as he is with his own self importance. If he has finally come out of hiding after his... _loss_, he will be ready soon."

Kisame chuckled over the snake sanin's loss and the vision of the severed hand that accompanied it. The chuckle faded into a slightly more serious demeanor. "He may compromise our mission again."

"I'm counting on it."

"Really." The tall nin arched a skeptical eyebrow at his partner's declaration, who in turn simply nodded.

"He underestimates our former home," Itachi explained, turning back to the nukenin with a detached look. "He schemes against the will of fire and shall thus be consumed... His failure is sure to divert enough resources to become our inroad."

"Hmmm..." Kisame rumbled, turning back to the fire and its warmth to stare into the dancing yellow and orange flame. "I do not like _waiting._ How can you be sure?"

"He is blinded by his own ambition..." Itachi Uchiha remarked solemnly, his red iris' never leaving the cloud speckled sky. His voice lowered to that of a whisper; a whisper only the wind would hear.

"...Blinder than I'll ever be."

* * *

"Got a C class mis-_sion!_"  
"Got a C class mis_-sion!_"

**S**akura Haruno's cheek twitched with every iteration the blond walking next to her sang in an off pitch key guaranteed to grate against the eardrum and likewise annoy anybody within earshot. A glance over to other teammate revealed the Uchiha clan heir sporting a particular foreboding look, one that increased fractionally for each refrain Naruto sung. This, in turn, darkened the pink haired girl's mood even further until the strain finally took its toll on her sanity.

"Got a C class-!"

"ENOUGH!" She whirled on the boy while her body exhibited all the signs of imminent physical violence. "We know! We were there! So was the Hokage! And Iruka Sensei! Everybody knows! You don't have to keep singing it!"

"But it's our first real mission, Sakura-chan!" The boy's enthusiasm only served to produce another cheek twitch. "We even get to go outside the village with a real client! A real C Class-!"  
_  
__**WHAM!**_

"SHUT! UP!" Sakura's hay-maker caught Naruto at a dropping vertical angle, smashing him into the ground as her temper blossomed violently. "If I have to bury you right here and now, I WILL!"

Kakashi Hatake merely raised the single eyebrow visible on his face, pausing in his transit with the trio as their singular female team member expended her anger on their most annoying. _That, he had coming_, the team lead silently agreed, though with considerably less enthusiasm. Still, he hoped it wouldn't be like this the entire mission. While it was destined to be a milk run, it was also training; individual and as a team. Kakashi sighed with that last thought and the complete lack of synergy Team Seven possessed. _Should have never quit the ANBU..._

"Ahem," The simple cough seemed to bring a halt to the pink haired girl's reign of terror on her blond counterpart, while Sasuke merely paused his forward progress; favoring their sensei with cool indifference. "As Naruto put it, we now have a real mission. Take whatever time you'll need tonight to gear up and rendezvous at the gate oh-five-hundred tomorrow morning, clear?"

"What should we bring, Sensei?" Sakura's attention was fully on her instructor now with wide, inquisitive eyes... As if she hadn't just beat the blond behind her into the ground.

"Standard academy pack-out; no more, no less," Kakashi continued, watching Naruto pick himself up off the ground while noting the girl's 180 degree change in attitude. The Uzumaki shrugged off the disorientation, and their mutually instructor allowed the pair's antics an unconcerned mental shrug before returning to the topic. "If you have any questions, just refer to the second chapter of the genin survival handbook."

"Wait, there's a handbook?" Two and a half pairs of eyes turned on Naruto simultaneously, who in turn stared back without comprehension. The silent incredulity held for a moment, only to be broken Naruto's innocent blinking. "What?"

Sakura's face took to twitching once more, and she took an angry step forward. "You can't seriously expect us to believe-!"

"Sakura will lend you her handbook," Kakashi preempted the girl with a sigh, saving Naruto from another physical blow. The instructor turned back to the glaring female genin. "I'm to assume you've memorized it?"

"Yes, sensei!" The glare vanished instantly as an opportunity to demonstrate her ability in front of her crush was brought to the forefront. "I also passed the test with-"

"Good," The masked nin dismissed the rest of his student's preening, causing Sakura to blink with confusion as he turned back to Naruto. "Chapter two, Naruto. Otherwise, I expect all of you at the gates... when?"

"Oh-five-hundred, sensei!" Sakura blurted eagerly, earning a nod from Kakashi as he pulled out a small pink book. "Take the rest of the day to prepare. I'll be engaged in some preparations of my own."

"You mean brushing up on your soft-core porn?" Sasuke cast an unimpressed look at their instructor, who in turn merely shrugged the missive off as he turned to depart.

"Hey, it's forehead girl!"

Sakura's eyes widened as the familiar voice was carried to her ears from behind, and she turned to find Ino Yamanaka walking out from a side street smirking at her. The pink haired ninja's face to scrunch up in irritation. That irritation only grew as she sighted the equally annoying redhead leading Ino and the less irritating Hinata, who were now heading down the street toward them. The incessant smirk only grew as trio closed on their position, and Sakura's ire only continued to rise; triggering the old verbal rivalry in full.

"What do you want, Ino-pig?" Sakura bit back, only to watch the smirk grow.

"Well, I _was_ going to warn you about pawing my Sasuke-kun," The blond stopped, looking from her to her teammate while a slight chortle resounded through her words. "But then I noticed you were annoying him with your company just fine and thought, why bother?"

Sakura's jaw ground with the insult until the words themselves were picked apart and dissected. She turned away from her annoying rival to find the Uchiha in question with a dour look on his face, his left cheek twitching occasionally. Kakashi had noticed the twitch himself long before his pupil, and a single eye had already tracked its focus to the source fixed squarely on the thirteen year old redhead. The killing intent that radiated from the Uchiha clan heir was almost respectable in that regard, and the Team Seven Jounin was beginning to wonder if he would have to restrain the boy from attacking.

The eye flicked back to Ranma as she passed with a superior smile that all but invited Sasuke to attack, and the boy's body began to tremble as everybody watched with morbid fascination. Much as he wanted to watch the scene play out, it wouldn't look good if another team leader had to put down one of his students.

"Ahem." The trembling stopped, but Sasuke still only had eyes for the smiling redhead. "Is there something that needs... _discussed_ with the Team Thirteen Instructor, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha's head snapped back to glare at him, which only served to pique Kakashi's interest further. _What in the world happened between the both of-_- A derisive snort erupted from his student, and Sasuke Uchiha's face lapsed back into the arrogant mask of disinterest that usually inhabited his features. With that, he turned away and began walking in the opposite direction. Kakashi's eyebrow rose curiously as the teen sauntered off, leaving the rest of his bewildered team in his wake. Sakura watched him in confusion for a moment, before glancing back to Ranma with even more confusion, then Ino in disgust.

"Hmmf!" She snorted at her rival and turned after her teammate; giving chase at a brisk trot. That act broke Ino's own wonder and she stuck her tongue out at the retreating girl in spite. Hinata simply stared at the parties in question, her pupilless gaze flicking back and forth between the splintering factions. Ino finally forwarded the obvious question. "What was that about, anyway?

"A very good question," Kakashi's gaze turned on the redhead, who in turn affected indifference. "I'm sure it's a fascinating story."

"Not really," Ranma shrugged, as if washing her hands of the incident. "Just helping moody Sasuke with some stuff."

The redhead cocked her head, chuckling at her own impromptu poetic prose while Kakashi watched the girl skeptically. _By help, you mean antagonize and piss off, _ he mused, recalling the Kyuubi incident and how many people she had managed to piss off helping Naruto alone. He shook his head, deciding he probably didn't want to know and glanced back to Naruto instead. "Chapter two. Gates. Five AM tomorrow."

"I will definitely be there!" Naruto stood at rigid, almost comical attention, prompting the Team Seven lead shake his head and walk away. The dedicated attention lasted only as long as it took Ranma to ask the question.

"So what's going on at the gates tomorrow?"

The next thing Ranma knew the boy was practically bouncing around her with a wide smile, all but jumping out of his skin. "We got a C-Class mission! A real mission outside the village!"

"_Your_ team got a C-class mission?" Ino stared in shock while her brain ran through the implications of Team Seven's unexpected advancement in comparison to her own. Disbelief and a healthy dose of denial replaced the shock instantly. "But that will mean brainiac will get even more opportunities to be alone with Sasuke-kun!"

"Last thing I'd worry about with him," Ranma commented before returning to her former path of travel. "C'mon. Still gotta collect Ten Ten for training."

The mention of training was the only encouragement Naruto needed to tag along with the trio, and the Hyuuga heir's own cheeks gained a healthy red glow as the blond bounced in formation beside her. Ino's mind was on other matters, however, and she went about finding answers with her usual tact. "Sensei... You aren't... I mean you're a boy, too, so you can't..."

Ranma stopped once more, turning around to the befuddled girl with a feeling of dread surrounding the question. "I'm a boy, so I can't, _what_?"

"It's just... the way you..." Ino looked nearly as nervous as Hinata regularly did; at least until she shored up enough nerve to get right to the point. "I... I can't be your student anymore if you're going to try and take Sasuke-kun for yourself!"

Ranma digested the declaration and blinked, almost unsure she heard the girl correctly. In fact, she shook her head, then slowly repeated the question just to ensure she had, indeed, comprehended what she had heard. "You think... I'm after... _Sasuke?_"

A slight cheek twitch accompanied the statement, though it went largely unnoticed by Ino, who nodded vigorously. Ranma's patience against the unintended slight held for another moment before her arm snapped out in a blur, her seemingly dainty hand coiling around the folds of her student's purple tunic. Ino found herself yanked into the snarling instructor's personal space like a grappling hook, blue eyes flashing with her temper.

"I'm a guy! One-hundred percent guy!" Ranma all but snarled, releasing the girl just as abruptly as she had yanked at her. "I ain't a pervert and I ain't gay and I sure as hell ain't thinkin' about datin' Sasuke!"

Ino winced with each point as they were shouted indelibly into her ears as a topic not to be touched on further. Ranma's glare held her in menacing silence for another moment before she turned on heel, grumbling something about stupid lovesick girls in the process, while Hinata watched the blowup fizzle and die; though like Ino, she had already shuffled back with each angry point made. That was probably where she should have remained silent, but a single inscrutable fact slipped past her unguarded lips.

"But... Sensei..." The Hyuuga began tepidly. "You're training us to be... I mean kunoichi are..."

Ranma's renewed progress down the street stopped as quickly as it began, and her head snapped back at the girl, who flinched with the leadened gaze. The flinch brought Ranma's indignation to a screeching halt as a spike of guilt ran straight through her conscious with the girl she was about to snap at. It also brought the inconvenient truth of her condition right to her doorstep in a way she ignored more often than not; one she couldn't just brush aside. _Yeah, so what am I?_ Ranma's brain echoed through the diminishing anger. _Either I'm a girl teachin' kunoichi or a perving guy teachin' girls stuff he's got no right teachin' em..._

In the end, Ranma settled the divergent information with a disgusted sigh. "Great. Simply goddamn great."

"I'm sorry I-"

"Nah, it's alright," Ranma shook her head wearily, then turned back to the still pensive blond girl. "It's a fair question I guess. No, I ain't got googly eyes for him if that's what you're askin'. Hell, after what I went through in Nerima, I probably won't be makin' googly eyes with anybody for quite a while."

"O-Okay," Ino stuttered simply, amazed by her instructor's behavioral turnabout while the portion of her teenage brain dedicated to all things romance attempted to analyze the cryptic statement.

Ranma gave the two girls one last look and turned back down the street she had been thus far unable to escape while the topic of her current gender affliction churned disquietingly at the back of her mind. _Another time, _she grumbled and executed a tactical change of subject. "So what about this mission, 'Ruto?"

The sole male of the group was yanked out of his own introspection over the events that had just happened, but was more than happy to detail Team Seven's achievement. "It's an escort mission! Some boozed up old geezer, but it gets us out of the village..."

"Now why would some old drunk need an escort?" Ranma asked with idle curiosity as they finally made their turn off the street and onto the path that would eventually lead to practice range two, while the village's buildings began to diminish as they left Konoha's core. Missions were still somewhat foreign to her in practice, but he knew the basics well enough: _Do a job, get paid_..._ If you call assassination a job_, another portion of her intellect added darkly, reluctantly acknowledging the darker side of being a ninja of Konoha.

"Something about not wanting to get mugged," Naruto shrugged, as if the fact were unimportant. Ranma shrugged too, with little in the way of knowledge on how the world outside Konoha's valley worked beyond the basics she had already gleaned.

_Hell, last time I was out there was for a dirt nap,_ the redhead snorted sarcastically, but continued to roll the matter over in her mind with some measure of doubt. One of the people that had been entrusted to her was going out into the big, bad ninja world, and so far Konoha hadn't exactly impressed her with its academy training regimen. Give Naruto a few more months of polish and she'd worry a bit less, but until then...

"Alright then," Ranma stated, coming to a decision. "It's time I made good on that promise to all yas."

"Promise, sensei?" Hinata cocked her head, curiosity overriding her shyness as she beheld her part time instructor's smirk.

"Yup," The grin took on a supremely confident edge. "It's super-move time."

"YES!" Two voices sounded in unison, two that also just happened to be natural blonds. Both looked at one another oddly for a moment before turning to Ranma eagerly. Even Hinata's pupilless eyes held a gleam of anticipation.

"This particular one works best against angry or pissed off opponents," Ranma continued conversationally as the density of trees along their path increased, winding left and out of sight. The slightest whisper of pinging metal on metal could be heard on the wind now as they closed on the curve. "Just be glad I won't be teachin' ya the way I had to learn."  
_  
...Or for the reason I had to learn,_ Ranma amended to herself as they rounded the final turn that sloped down into the modest clearing that represented practice range two. After several days mulling over the disparities between ki and chakra, Ranma had finally come to the conclusion that she would have to give the Old Ghoul her due. The Hiryuu Shoten Ha was not only relatively easy to learn and potentially devastating when employed properly, it would also bypass any ki-chakra conflicts... _In theory_, Ranma added reluctantly, still working over the known angles. She couldn't guarantee the Chestnut Fist or anything else more complex at this point since they relied on straight ki manipulation, but all the dragon needed was hot and cold. _And it don't matter how you get there_, she added with confidence born from numerous encounters with the technique.

With the issue settled in her mind, the redhead turned her attention to the figures actively engaging one another on the field her group approached. Out of the four, only one was actually known to her; that being Ten Ten. She was apparently training by throwing kunai into a taller, black haired boy that looked a lot like Mousse, except-

Ranma's attention focused sharply as Ten ten's opponent wound through his evasion gracefully, her eyes picking apart his style. Ranma consumed the movement for another instant before cocking her head curiously and glancing back to Hinata. "You got a brother?"

The tension that suddenly caused the Hyuuga heir to suddenly stiffen was unmistakable, causing Ranma to raise a curious eyebrow. It took Hinata several seconds to assemble her words coherently. "N-Neji. My cousin."

Ranma surprised the girl by simply nodding, and turning back to the scene without so much as another question. Hinata's body language told her everything she need to know about the boy sparring Ten Ten, and tactics began to formulate around that revelation._ Not that you can really call that sparrin'_, the redhead noted silently as they approached. Ten Ten lobbed kunai. Hinata's cousin deflected kunai. Sure, they both did so with a modicum of competence, but it positively paled compared to what was going on twenty meters off to their right. Two green clad figures, one teen and one adult were actively engaged in aggressive hand to hand combat. Ranma grinned as the younger of the two charged in for an open palmed strike combination, only to have it batted away by the elder. The taller adult responded in kind with a aerial round house that was blocked, then immediately followed up by an array of heavy handed knife edge chops.

The redhead's next thirty steps down the path and onto the range were spent soaking up technique, and the difference between the combatants was night and day. While he may have looked like Mousse, Neji was obviously strictly hand to hand but uncannily accurate when it came to intercepting Ten Ten's kunai. The kid's technique also closely mirrored Hinata's own, which Ranma had firsthand experience with through Hinata_... _His graceful, high speed dervish was a stark contrast to the harder style being employed by the other teen and his skilled sparring partner, leaving Ranma with a clear impression as to whom the team leader was.  
On one hand, Ranma appreciated their skill. _Hell, might even have to arrange a spar with the big guy,_ the martial artist decided while her thought process moved on to the more disquieting fact that she had observed concerning ten ten's "training". Her blue eyes flicked back to the team lead, who was calling a halt to the sparring. One by one, eyes locked on to them until it was finally Ten Ten's turn, her face breaking out into friendly recognition.

"Sensei! Hinata-chan! Ino-chan!" The bun-tied girl smiled, waving them over as she flipped the shining kunai in her opposite hand back to her belt.

"Yosh!" The younger of the green spandex clad males grinned enthusiastically, turning fully toward his teammate's compatriots. "I finally meet the fruits of Ten Ten's youthful flowering petals!"

"Flowering _what...?_" Ranma blinked several times as she attempted to parse the strange prose until coming to the conclusion it sounded like something Kuno would spout, but with a more perverted spin applied to the words. The likewise wide, toothy smile was undoubtedly supposed to relay his good intentions, but the slightly overbearing, maniacal gleam to his eyes had the entirely opposite effect on the females present. Ino's face took on a slightly disgusted edge as she shuffled back a step, while Hinata's posture lapsed into more uncertainty. In the end, it was his own team leader that came to the rescue.

"What my cute apprentice means to say, is that he is quite excited to meet the rest of our glorious Ten Ten's teammates," The adult clasped the boy's shoulder, nodding before turning fully toward Ranma, bowing. "I am Gai Maito. My apologies if our exercises have cut into her special instruction. Saotome, is it not?"

"Ranma," The redhead corrected informally, while another portion of her intellect automatically sized up the threat he represented on reflex alone. _Not as fast as the old ghoul but probably hits like a truck and would soak up damage like Ryoga_, she concluded. It only served to heighten the anticipation. Her current body was probably the wrong tool for that sort of sparring, but it was certain to be fun regardless.

"Don't worry about it," Ranma continued, adopting a roguish grin with her mood considerably improved by the prospect of finally finding a good sparring partner. "I'll just have to work her a little harder to make up for the lost time."

"But Sensei! It's not my-!"

"And some falling practice for whinin' about it," The martial artist grinned sweetly, immediately shutting the girl up. A disgruntled pout now inhabited her features, but Ten Ten remained silent as a wide grin spread across the larger adult's face.

"I see that Ten Ten's youthful blossom is in good hands," Gai nodded with approval, pumping his right fist vigorously. "Stoke the passions of her kunoichi training by whatever means necessary, instructor Saotome!"

_And that_ still_ sounds pretty damn echii,_ Ranma's stomach churned with disquiet as the suggestive phraseology took its toll on her sensibilities. It took another moment to scrub the imagery from her brain with mental bleach before turning back to more important matters. "Let's go, Ten. You got hand to hand with 'Nata."

Ten Ten's groan was interrupted by derisive snort, prompting Ranma to turn back to its source. Neji stood by, shaking his head with little more than cold arrogance playing across his face. Ranma had to suppress the feral grin for the opportunity Hinata's cousin was presenting, and baited her own hook. "What? You got a problem with that?"

"Only that she will come away from the experience poorer than what she started," The branch heir delivered the predicted insult evenly, his opaque eyes focusing on his cousin. "Exposing Ten Ten to the company of Hinata can only result in apathy and failure."

"Is that right?"Ranma retorted with mock annoyance, placing her hands on her hips as if she had been insulted while happily providing the teen with sufficient rope to hang himself with... "You always go around questionin' the training methods of your instructors?"

...Rope that Neji Hyuuga gladly took up.

"Neji-kun..."

Gai attempted his own intervention, but the Hyuuga's cold superiority was already in play and a spiteful smile slipped onto the branch heir's lips. "Only when the instructor's folly is so readily apparent. Only a fool would pair somebody up with my cousin and expect anything more than the complete degradation of her skill. Your method exposes the inexperience and foolishness that could only be associated with the naivety of a pre-adolescent girl, such as yourself."

Ino's eyes widened with the layered insult as her face took on a horrified visage. Even Hinata momentarily dismissed the insults directed at her person as both girls recalled their instructor's reaction to a very similar comment made about her less than fifteen minutes ago. At least that had been spoken with the well meaning intention. The boy across from them, however, was purposely courting the redhead's temper... Which was why the smile on her face came as a surprise.

"Really now," Ranma grinned impishly, then turned a lazy glance back to Gai. "Sounds like your student just challenged me. Gotta problem with that?"

Realization hit Gai Maito in that moment, forcing the spandex clad adult to acknowledge his counterpart and her claim. While it was clearly obvious that Neji had been maneuvered into shooting his mouth off, it was also readily apparent that the branch heir was all too eager to be led into the trap. His student had directly challenged the competence of another instructor, and worse, he himself had failed to avert a potential incident. In the end, there was little that Gai could do but shrug. "Who am I to deny him the fires of his youth?"

The redhead's grin took on a feral edge as she turned back to a perplexed Neji, who was only beginning to realize something was amiss. The girl knuckles flexed with several diminutive pops. "Was hoping you'd say that. Cuz these fires are gonna hurt._ A lot."_

"You presume to oppose destiny, little girl," Neji returned insufferably, his tone making it clear that the person he had inadvertently challenged was well beneath his time. "Perhaps you would like to postpone this match until, say, puberty."

"And perhaps you'd like to step on over so I can knock those pupils back into your eyeballs," Ranma patronized the boy further, and was awarded with the slightest flicker of emotion across his face. "That is unless you're all talk, like old man Hiashi...?"

Neji's gaze narrowed dangerously on the girl, who merely continued to grin back. His fists balled in that moment, but the branch heir managed to restrain himself_... Barely_. The teen's voice was low and dangerous now. "You _assume_ far more than is healthy. This is your last opportunity to drop your misguided challenge before I am forced to show the superiority of the Hyuuga bloodline."

"The only unfortunate thing that's gonna happen to me is havin' to listen to more of your bullshit," The girl rolled her eyes, silently noting the careful shift in Neji's center of gravity as killing intent leaked away from his emotional control. She turned her back to him with a snort, dismissing him entirely and thereby completing her masterpiece of goading. "Hell, I'm thinkin' Hinata's got more talent than-"

Ranma had to give his due; Neji's opening move was swift and silent as he took the calculated opening she had provided for him. The thrust was a two fingered spike just to the left of the upper thoracic spinal nerve with the right hand trailing in behind it, all but promising a devastating combination if the initial contact was made. Even if she hadn't heard the slightest rustle of movement or missed Ino and Hinata's eyes literally widen in horror at the unseen threat behind her, the Saotome was expecting the teen's attack and gave her students the slightest of winks before executing an equally graceful pirouette, turning into the attack with a measure of speed thought only possessed by the Hyuuga clan itself.

For Neji Hyuuga, the outcome couldn't have been more certain until the girl blurred back into his attack, slapping the initial strike aside with the back of her hand before moving onto his left, immobilizing it easily with a grip that might as well have been steel reinforced. The branch heir attempted to brute force her lock on his arm, and watched as her smile increased fractionally; her blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

"When you wanna get serious, let me know."

"Kick his ass, Ranma!" Another male voice hollered from the sideline,s and the martial artist glanced back to find Naruto and clones acting as his own personal cheering section.

Neji simply scowled and aimed an impromptu kick at the girl's midsection. It wasn't as graceful as his opening, but it served its purpose to break their mutual contact and allowed Neji to reset his offensive, while Ranma in turn was more than happy to let him do so. Two more knife-like jabs immediately followed the withdraw as the boy renewed his blurring attack, seeking out targets that would either permanently incapacitate or- if the redhead was unlucky -kill the girl if they found their mark. Unfortunately, he was facing the wrong opponent for luck to play any significant role in their match, and Ranma profiled away from the first thrust, ducked under the second and unleashed a three hit open palmed combination to his sternum that forced him back a full two meters and very nearly sucked every ounce of breath from his lungs in the process.

The branch heir took only the briefest moment to recover his breath before launching into a more aggressive version of the Juken normally only reserved for higher level opponents... Or one supremely annoying redheaded girl who needed to be shown her proper station. The barest edge of a cold smirk inhabited his lips now as the genius flowed through the gentle fist style with lethal grace, only to find each strike either countered or diverted by the amused kunoichi who was doing little to fight back. It didn't matter, however. Each attack pushed her back while denying the opportunity to counter attack. With such a display of weakness, it was only a matter of time before-

The foot came out of nowhere, slamming into his left cheek with a force that the child's frame shouldn't have been able to produce. The Hyuuga reeled violently to the left as his brain came to grips with the fact that he had somehow misjudged her style. _Badly._ He was a master of his art. A genius, in fact. And that genius also came in knowing the taijutsu of others. Low center of gravity. Tight stance. The girl shouldn't have been able to produce that kick with so little warning or even a shift in her posture; let alone with that much power behind it. The Hyuuga stumbled back even as that realization and pain flooded his intellect, hastening to reassemble his guard before her follow up swept in.

It never came.

Instead, the girl simply stood in place, cocking her head curiously as if she didn't even realize her own strength. After a moment, she blinked with all the cluelessness in the world, brushing her red pigtail back over her shoulder. "Are we done yet? I'm thinkin' I could get better action out of big, tall and green over there."

Ranma Saotome jabbed her thumb back to Gai and noted her opponent's heated glare. She pushed her sweet smile to insufferable levels. Truth be told, she had to admit the kid was good. He was fast, precise and skilled enough to where she wasn't about to take chances in solely dodging his attacks. But none of it was a surprise, either. Hinata had all that. What she didn't have was the aggression, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see why. _Your father's a heartless jackass, and your cousin has got some superiority complex goin' on._ The martial artist let a minor chuckle slip out as she considered the broken family tree her student was entangled in. _Can't choose your family, I guess..._

It was an adage Ranma knew all too well.

"You laugh, girl," The glare continued, and Ranma turned her full focus back onto Neji, who was wiping the trickle of blood away from his lips. "But the last shall be mine."

"Ya keep sayin' that." The redheaded kunoichi rolled her eyes. "Still waitin' for you to pop that bottle of skill to back it all up, though."

Neji's jaw ground with fury and Ranma almost felt sorry for him in the process. Killing intent gained density around her, all but assuring the redhead of his imminent attack. It also made her nearly bounce with anticipation. _Yeah, just keep doin' that and we'll have ourselves a good old time..._

"I'll show you the folly of attempting to thwart destiny," The black haired teen snapped back, and slid into a wide stance that Ranma hadn't seen Hinata demonstrate to date. Something about his solid iris' changed, and now they appeared to strain with effort. "You're within my divination field, fool!"

"And you're within my ass-kicking field. So what?" Ranma simply shrugged, thoroughly unimpressed by the display.

A nearly feral snarl erupted from Neji with the rebuke, and his arms swept through a wide, graceful arc to acquire their targets. _"Juukenhou: Sixty Four points of __divination__!"_

"Neji-kun, _no!"_

Ten Ten's call to reason, nor the gasps from the other team members did little to sway Neji's initial pivot into the special technique, where upon he encountered his first problem. His targets, the chakra regulating tenketsu of the human body barely even registered to his bloodline when looking at the girl. The points were most certainly there, but where they normally shone like spotlights to his enhanced vision, hers were fuzzy, barely visible blots all but washed out by other foreign energy sources that were definitely not chakra flowing through... _Secondary tenketsu?_

The anomalies were cause for some concern as the branch heir slid into point blank range and prepared for the terminal strike that would initiate the devastating combination; For example, which did he choose? The Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou's combat doctrine targeted tenketsu specifically, but it was obvious that the girl's biology deviated from anything he had ever previously encountered. Neji made a decision in the very last moments before contact was achieved.

He'd take them_ all _out.

_"Two strikes!"_ He yelled with the primary thrust, targeting one of the more significant looking blobs and a primary tenketsu to split the difference. His fingers turned into chakra daggers and plunged; only to be slapped aside with speed that the Hyuuga himself thought only he could achieve. Ranma rewarded him with a cocky grin for his trouble, and Neji redoubled his efforts, certain he could saturate her defenses. _"Four strikes!"_

The first strike of his next melee salvo caught nothing but air as she bent backwards just out of his fingertips' range, while the next three were diverted to by hand. She continued her own shuffle back even as he began anew. _"Eight strikes!"_

The technique began to pick up speed, but more disconcerting was that her deflections and evasions kept apace, keeping him from achieving a substantial hit out of all fourteen attempts thus far. Neji pirouetted around in a blur in order to pick up speed for the next set, when the girl simply laughed at his attempt.

"C'mon, now... Nata-chan can do all this way faster!"  
_  
"GRRRRrrrr!"_ Black hair whipped through the spin and he pushed his fingers back into their targets, this time abandoning the larger blobs of unknown energy in favor of the techniques true targets. There was a small chance that they were what was throwing the perfection of the juuken off, so he went with what had been combat test over countless generations._ "SIXTEEN strikes!"_

"Are you even _trying?_" Ranma shook her head as she ducked under the impossible blur, while meeting anything she couldn't directly evade with her own counters. "I know old grannies that are faster than you!"

Neji was actively grunting with each frustrating deflection, but it wasn't until strike number twenty seven did he feel something poke his ribcage. Ranma's grin sweetened, leaving little doubt as to where that poke had come from. On the off chance there had been a doubt, Ranma destroyed it with her next comment. "Did that tickle?"

"DIE!" Only years of practice kept Neji in form now and didn't even bother to vocalize his advancement into the thirty two strike set of strikes, such was his fury. No thirteen year old child had any right to be so fast. So skilled. So _utterly annoying_. His destiny would not be thwarted by some redheaded kunoichi wannabe that couldn't shut the hell-!

_Poke!_

Ranma bobbed just out of the range of the black haired teen's fury while he, in turn, was more than happy to follow her incessant retreat; always staying within a meter of his attacks, but never close enough to be decisively engaged. Something about her movements tugged at the back of his mind. Neji knew patterns. The Gentle Fist was layered in them and he was a genius in employing the art. Her retreated seemed almost circular in nature, as if she were trying to lead him somewhere... But a circle in and of itself represented no real—

_Poke! Poke!_

_"SIXTY FOUR!"_ The jabs to his ribs refocused him, and he strained his muscles to the limit in an attempt to wring every last erg of speed from them.

"Jeez, how much higher does this go? I'm getting bored outta my skull here," Ranma continued her incessant taunting and was continually rewarded by growling and massive amounts of killing intent, both in equal measure. She diverted strike number one hundred and five and took her final steps into the spiral she had been retreating into the entire time.

"Pay attention girls," She called out loud enough for everybody to hear, and initiated the catalyst one step at a time. "_Hiyruu... Shoten... __**HAAA!**__"_

Neji cried with silent triumph as the girl move to attack him with an uppercut that would clearly miss. For a single moment of time, he was certain that the outcome was decided. The uppercut would leave her decisively out of position and he would use the remaining blows from Sixty Four points of Divinity to incapacitate her. From there, it would simply be a matter of dismantling her piece by- The Hyuuga's vision suddenly lapsed into a blinding glare as the technique was called out; suddenly helpless as the unusual energy surrounding the girl enveloped his body, then clamped down on him like a wind-borne vice.

_"A wind justu!"_ Ino screeched as a tornado abruptly formed around the girl, causing Neji and Ranma's audience to retreat to a safer distance; a distance that Neji Hyuuga had no chance of achieving. Hinata, Ino, TenTen, Lee and Gai all watched as the genius of the Hyuuga branch clan was suddenly plucked from the ground and subjected to nearly twelve gravities of rotation through his vertical ascent, while the girl that had initiated the tempest remained frozen in form at the tornado's eye.

Hinata Hyuuga watched. Not only did she watch, she activated her own Byakugan and a silent "oooh' formed at her mouth as she caught the sight of an iridescent column of spiraling ki and chakra dancing several hundred feet above her; its hot and cold elements dancing amongst each other in an eerily beautiful fight for dominance. It was indeed a dragon in her eyes; an utterly beautiful, deadly dragon that was finally beginning to tire of its prey.

It hadn't taken Neji long to reach the Hiryuu Shoten Ha's terminal altitude, and the forces that had whipped him through its length like a wicked centrifuge finally lost their hold on him; spitting the branch genius out as if he were a well chewed morsel. The nearly senseless teen was summarily ejected from the vortex, taking a ballistic arc that angled him straight into the earth like an artillery shell. His impact followed less than a second later, where he created his own fifteen meter stretch of dust and rubble before finally tumbling to a stop near practice range two's southern tree line.

_Sky._

Consciousness was a fleating thing for Neji, who only knew he was waking up to sky not because of its blue majesty- laced blood red at the moment –but from the double vision blur of the clouds above. In fact, the blue was actually tinted with red. _Bleeding_, he decided, still barely able to focus on anything, while his hearing was little more than pitched ringing. The black haired boy moved to clear his vision by hand, but instantly winced with the attempt to move his arm. He nudged his head left, finding more blur; this time the stone and grass he was all but buried in. The ringing in his ears began to fade, and through it, voices could be heard... _Panic. Yelling._ Suddenly, a head bobbed into view. Gai-sensei with a concerned look on his face. Another came into view at the lip of his crater. _Ten Ten. Hinata._

Neji winced; not from any pain, though his body was awash in that. The concern on their faces was... Something bright red came into view beside her. She was blurry too, but he didn't need any sort of fine detail to recognize the unnaturally red crop of hair or blue eyes accompanying it. Her concern lasted for merely a moment before her face took on a sterner visage; something that was a far cry to the face she had been patronizing him with during their match.

"And while you're down there, give old man Hyuuga the message that his clan is really startin' to piss me off."

* * *

**K**yuubi, the nine tailed demonic kitsune and terror of Konoha was amused. One might think- erroneously -that an amused Kyuubi was a relatively harmless Kyuubi; being thus occupied by the source of her amusement and therefore diverted from more destructive activities... Such as destroying one's village. Unfortunately, such logic failed to take into account the apparent source of the Kyuubi's amusement, as well as the victims unlucky enough to be in close proximity to her...

... In this case, Ten Ten, Hinata, Ino and Naruto.

Nor did such a malevolent entity tend toward artistic endeavors, such as critiquing the efforts of the four young genin scurrying around her in circles while attempting to draw spirals in the dirt. In fact, kitsune were- on average, hedonistic creatures that tended to immerse themselves in more visceral activities; the simple pleasures of life as it were, and less introspective commentary on abstract visual themes. Being locked away in the dark for thirteen years with little in the way of stimuli had broadened this particular kitsune's outlook, however, and Kyuubi studied the stick drawn spirals with increasing mirth. The fact that there creators were all blindfolded and barely able to maintain a consistent heading likewise lightened her mood considerably, prompting her to comment thus.

"That is hardly a spiral, girl," She announced in a supercilious tone, causing the recipient of her critique to sightlessly blanch. The blond girl scowled before peaking out from the blindfold, staring at the ground around her and the jagged angles that she had somehow induced in what should have been an otherwise simple shape to reproduce. Kyuubi had comments on that particular point as well. "In fact, it must be one of the worst I've ever seen. Are you sure you're trying, kit?"

Ino's gray-blue eyes snapped from her efforts to the smirking orange-red haired woman, her mood darkening as pulled a strip of fabric from her forehead, pointing to it. "Hey, This isn't exactly easy! Sensei is making use these things, you know!"

"Perhaps not for one with such limited cognitive ability," The woman replied indifferently, still favoring the girl with a patronizing smile. "Ah, the perils of being positioned so low on the evolutionary ladder. I'm quite amazed your ancestors weren't devoured by a salamander or some similarly loathsome creature."

Ino's gaze narrowed on the insufferable woman. "Well if it's so easy, why don't YOU do it?"

"And deprive myself of the amusement obtained by watching you all stumble about like a lobotomized wumpus?" The demoness simply shook her head, as if the suggestion was too far beneath her station to even consider. "No, I find this arrangement quite pleasant."

"I don't think she can," Ten Ten replied from her left, having since removed her own blindfold to partake in the conversation and support her teammate. Hinata removed hers as well, though more out of reflex than an actual need to do so, given her bloodline.

"Probably afraid of getting her pretty kimono all dirty," Ino leered, causing the Kyuubi to roll her eyes.

"What, child? Do you think I am some djinn to answer your every challenge so that I may flex my ego?" Kyuubi shook her head, now sounding thoroughly bored. "Now please, continue to delight me with your monkey antics before I begin to consider how tasty of a morsel you might be for my palette."

Oppressive foreboding coiled invisibly around Ino and she stumbled back with the wave of oppressive evil that Kyuubi's slitted gaze sent her way. The redheaded woman grinned, not showing simply a toothy smile, but a set of fangs that glistened white. The malevolent feeling emanating from the kitsune only increased and the adult's tails began to swish with anticipation. For the first time in her life, Ino felt scared... Truly _terrified_ as the rest of the world melted away, leaving only those two slitted eyes to devour her with their intensity.

"There's no _way _she can do a better job than us!"

The cloud of darkened emotion suddenly evaporated from around Ino, and the blond could suddenly breath again; finally releasing the breath she had been holding. The woman turned slowly around to find Naruto considering the woman with folded arms and a smug look.

"Do not presume what is beyond my abilities, whelp," Kyuubi's arrogant tone fell into that of distinct displeasure, and the blond teen simply responded by sticking his tongue out at one of the most lethal forces ever encountered by the Village of the Leaf. She favored him with a dark glare for an instant before loosing a pernicious smile. "So be it. A spiral you shall _have_."

Kyuubi's arm came up in a grandiose manner, holding her hand level with the horizon. Her fingers flashed through three signs while a single plush foxtail lifted from the ground. She held it at a meters height for a moment, before slapping the earth to coincide with her final hand sign.

_**BOOOooMM!**_

Stone and grass exploded violently with the impact of her tail, tearing away as some unknown force plowed destructively through the earth like a subterranean snake. The chakra borne auger curved outward, heaving dirt and stone skyward as it continued to circle around the stationary woman. Naruto himself didn't perceive the threat until the invisible plow passed right beneath him on its second revolution around Kyuubi, upended the boy and burying the sputtering demon container up to his waist before continuing on its way. It also served as an example to Ino, TenTen and Hinata to keep their distance as the chakra auger continued its work before terminating twenty meters from the creature that had originally initiated the technique.

The self-satisfied kitsune glanced about, admiring the destruction wrought around her person while the genin simply stared at the dissipating cloud of dust. The woman now stood at the center of a freshly tilled forty meter spiral.

Ino looked from the pleased woman, down to the destroyed field and back with more than a little nervousness. "Sh-Show off!"

"That's cheating!" Naruto, leaned up from the trench he had nearly been buried in, spitting out a tuft of grass in the process. "You can't use my chakra like that!"

"_My _chakra, pup," Kyuubi rolled her eyes. "Simply because you are the-

"WHAT THE HELL?" The childern blinked with the unexpected voice and turned to find their currently black haired, pigtailed instructor crossing the field away from several ANBU at a brisk pace with an annoyed look crossing his face. "I can't leave you alone for one goddamn minute, can I?"

Kyuubi turned toward him with a lazy smile. "The kits wanted a spiral. Who was I to deny their request?"

"Your sister is a sadist, Sensei!" Ino yelped, causing Kyuubi's smile to grow.

"Now, now," She tisked lightly. "Flattery will get you everywhere... Or _killed._"

"SEE?" The blond screeched, causing Ranma to pinch his forehead in frustration.

"Oh, for God's sakes..." The boy shook his head, then emphasized, "Back to drawing spirals. _Now._"

"I'm going to throw up if I have to do another one blindfolded, Saotome-san!" TenTen complained. Ino nodded with vigorous agreement, while Hinata looked onward with concern toward Naruto, who was only now fully regaining his balance. The plea managed to elicit zero sympathy from their instructor.

"Then you can puke while drawing a spiral," Ranma folded his arms imperviously, then added. "If you can do at least a single perfect one, you're done for the day."

Ino Yamanaka muttered something under her breath but pulled the white strip of fabric back over her eyes and started anew, while Kyuubi's chortling continued. "Not quite the torture of Konoha I had in mind, but one takes what one can get."

"And who said you could hijack another of Naruto's clones, anyway?" Ranma fixed the woman with a glare, prompting her to shrug nonchalantly.

"He all but tempted me to do so with all that incessant shadow clone cheering," The woman continued with a slight smirk on her lips, while several of her nine tails swished. "How could I resist with all the chakra and emotion he was stirring up during your fight?"

"Yeah, well," Ranma shook his head wearily, watching as Ino began to draw the shape of something close to that of a spiral for the first time, before looking back up at the woman. "Our ANBU nannies are already pretty trigger happy with your sudden arrival. Try not to give them so much of an excuse to hand us our asses."

"Such a colorful colloquialism," The demoness cocked her head, and then smiled. "One I might wish to experiment with sometime in the near future."

Ranma blinked, then blinked again as he tried and finally succeed in comprehending her meaning. The boy simply held her with a dry look. "Yeah, and that sort of crap is why I had to go over and talk 'em down to begin with. "

"And what would _you_ suggest," Kyuubi countered haughtily, staring back down at the boy that would one day be her protector with heavy skepticism.

"Jeez, I don't know," Ranma shook his head, while purposely ignoring her stare. "Something a little less conspicuous. I mean the tails and ears are cute and all, but they all scream 'soul-sucking fox demon' 'round here, you know?"

"Cute,_ hmmm?_" The redheaded woman smiled, inducing a very large pit within the confines of Ranma's stomach quite suddenly. He had heard that suggestive lilt before from a number of females, and it never,_ ever_ boded well for him or his long term sanity. "I can do... _cute._"

"Look, I ain't sayin'-"

The martial artist backtracked verbally, only to have his mouth fail upon watching the woman before him melt in upon herself. Her gelatinous form stabilized somewhere in the vicinity of his thirteen year old height, while her features began to take on further definition. A sharper, more childlike facial structure solidified. Though the kimono remained, it had shrunk to fit the frame of what could only be seen as a girl in her early teens with pale skin, red eyes and similarly long, wild tresses of orange-red hair that all but ensured nobody would mistake the kitsune child for his girl-type's twin.

Ranma stared at the smirking girl, who snapped her fingers to turn the kimono into an almost kunoichi like obi that revealed a set of black fishnet stockings to hug her legs. Slitted red eyes backed by a mischievous smile focused on Ranma, and she took a single, swaying step into Ranma's personal space. Ranma, in turn, promptly took a nervous step back.

"Will _this_ help keep a low enough profile?"

Ranma opened his mouth, then closed it as the girl spun on the ball of her left foot. The obi flared and curves shifted too much for any male eye to simply ignore in spite of the girl's apparent age. Once he could trust himself to speak, there really was only one response he could think of.

"Doubt it."

"It will suffice," The now teenaged Kyuubi insisted with self-satisfaction as she studied her own appendages as if they works of art to be appraised. She looked up and sent a knowing smile back Ranma's way. "For those purposes... _And others._"

Ranma could only shake his head at the injustices that continually seemed to be inflicted upon him and sighed. "Look, I don't know what you got in mind but... just _don't._ I got enough on my plate without some kitsune chick's head games."

"Oh, but I do so_ love_ my games," Kyuubi all but purred, holding his gaze for a moment before simply chuckling, her next words coming out in a matter of fact tone. "The only games I wish to engage in at the moment, however, are those that will free me from the grasp of this accursed village once and for all; no more, no less."

"Yeah, well, remember the deal. Stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours," The pigtailed martial artist returned. Kyuubi let the slightest amount of fang show on her lip with the challenge.

"And if I don't... 'stay out of your way', as it were?"

"Then we're gonna have to _alter_ the deal," Ranma held her with the steel blue of her gaze, and the girl opposite of him affected indifference; turning out to look at the four genin stumbling in the field.

"Then pray that no further alterations will be necessary," The Kyuubi advised in her new childlike tone. If anything, it made her continued threats all the more menacing. "For much as you amuse me, I will not hesitate to rip you apart limb from limb. You and yours will be made to suffer until my blood-lust is sated."

"Yeah, that's kinda what the phoenix guy said too," Ranma mused as the kitune's attention turned elsewhere. "Too bad what happened to him."

"Oh? And just what-" Kyuubi indulged her curiosity by glancing back to the boy... Just in time to see the blur of his hand and the flash of steel across her avatar's throat.

The world suddenly went black.

* * *

From the confines of her astral prison, the demonic kitsune blinked, recoiling from the implosion of her shadow clone's chakra as it forcibly found its level within the seal. It took her another moment to reorient herself and realize just what the child had done which, in turn, prompted the demonic child to smile once she had gotten over the indignation of having her throat sliced.

Pushing him had been a calculated maneuver in and of itself, but the results were quite satisfactory- The kit would keep his word and deal with any and all threats to it decisively; including threats to their mutual bargain. A Phoenix, however... that was slightly more disconcerting.

_First the monkey leader of Konoha and now the mention of a Phoenix_, Kyuubi mulled over Ranma's words with the slightest measure of disquiet flowing across her psyche. _Phoenix...guy?_ she amended, correcting herself while wondering just what else the little hanyo child had encountered. Monkeys were well advised to walk lightly in the presence of Phoenix, and at this rate, she might well be hearing of the kit's further associations with Manda or something similarly outrageous if there was any truth to the claims.

_Was there?_

Kyuubi let a long, shining black fingernail caress the meter diameter prison bar closest to her, considering her new associate and the puzzle pieces associated with him in full before smiling once again. Her freedom and vengeance might well be in question at the moment, but at least there was no shortage of entertainment...

_...In all its forms_, a fanged smile slipped on to her lips as she departed for the shadows of her domain.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**  
Been a bit, huh? I've been dealing with some crises IRL, so I've been behind on damn near everything and working fics on the side... The very side. Anyway, hope this satisfies and of course there's more on the way :)

Ranma vs Neji - _This one is a gimmie, frankly. Given how many punches can Ranma can push into a single blow, I don't think speed is a serious concern for him, especially against a technique that is little more than a combination of strikes strung out across several seconds._

HSH vs Chakra - _Given that the HSH relies on nothing more complex than elemental catalyst, it is also one of the few techniques Ranma can "cross train" without having to worry about incompatibilities between a chakra based HSH vs a Ki based HSH; since both should operate the same._

Wumpus - _An aggressive subterraining creature that hunts happless adventures lost within its lair._ _Wumpi hunt mainly by scent and vibration, but can often be smelled themselves when in close proximity to its prey._ _One smelling a wumpus should consider themselves in imminent danger._

_Special Thanks to: Dragon Dagger, Mike, DCG, Materia Blade, Gsteemso, HolyKnight and anybody else I might have forgotton in my rush to publish. Editing issues still remaining after thier passes are my responsibility alone.  
_


	10. Chapter 10

**Tales of the Foxcat  
**_By Ozzallos_**  
**

**Chapter 10**

**T**he moment hung in time for one Naruto Uzumaki as the gates of his home swung open. True, they were rather imposing gates built from wood and iron by master carpenters to serve as a stalwart against ninja and their summons alike, but that wasn't what had the genin in an awed stupor. It was what lay beyond those eight story gates.

_The world_.

Excitement bubbled from within the blond ninja as he contemplated his place in it, now literally only five meters separating him from the grand adventure that his first mission would undoubtedly take him on. _Life and death struggles! Fame! Heroic rescues! _A wide, toothy grin broke out across the genin's face as he thought about everything that was out there waiting for him. He reached for the sky as the epic nature of his quest took its toll.

"LET'S GO!"

His team and their client turned back to stare. Five blocks away atop a modest storage building, a thirteen year old martial artist all but groaned as the echoing exclamation reached his ears. Ranma pinched his nose in disbelief, but continued to watch the scene play out at ground level.

"What are you so excited about?" Sakura rolled her eyes, all but knowing the answer. Sure enough, her blond counterpart was more than happy to supply the reason for his exuberance.

"'Cuz I've never left the village before!" Naruto's head was on a swivel as he crossed the invisible line separating the old from the new, only to be stopped cold by the very person they were assigned to protect.

"Hey!" Tazuna glance back at the one eyed ninja riding herd on the genin with a doubtful look. "Am I really going to be safe with this brat?"

_And just what I need, the client to already start doubting us_, Kakashi frowned at Naruto's outburst mentally, but fixed a pleasant countenance for their ragged looking client regardless. "Hehehehe... Well, I am a Jounin, so don't worry."

"Hey, old man! Don't go messing with ninja! I'm Incredible!" Naruto continued to simmer however, as his grand adventure took its first hit from the old drunk. The bum obviously didn't know he was being escorted by the future Hokage of Konoha, prompting the genin to correct that oversight. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki! Remember it! Because one day I will take on the super elite title of Hokage!"

The old man in question cast a bland look down at the boy trying to impress him and pulled his kasa down his hat to shield his eyes from the morning sun, then took a swig from his ever present bottle of saki. Warm alcohol rolled down his throat, warding off the cool morning chill and he shook his head. "Hokage is the village's number one ninja, right? I doubt somebody like you could do it..."

From his distance, Ranma couldn't tell what the old man's reply was, but Naruto's heated response certainly echoed for blocks, causing the martial artist to grin. He watched the fireworks begin in earnest as the group of five walked beyond the perimeter and out of sight. Naruto's protest continued to echo, causing Ranma to almost wish he could tag along too. That wasn't in the cards, however.

"Best of luck, kiddo." He had his own obligation here, so he wished his farewell from the roof top. The boy glanced behind him to the girl in a red and orange obi sporting a similar smirk of amusement at the boy's antics. She noticed Ranma's attention and waited as he formed the question. "You'll watch over him?"

"The brat is beneath my attention," The teen avatar of Kyuubi sniffed and turned away to the rest of Konoha's skyline. Her orange mane was caressed by the breeze as she took in the sight. Regardless, she nodded. "As you will uphold our pact."

"Gave you my word."

From anybody else, Kyuubi might have scoffed at the notion. A man monkey and his word were as valuable as the dust beneath her feet. The hanyou child before her, however... The kitsune smirked. "Then we have an accord, though using my power to escort a drunken bridge building monkey is beyond ridiculous. If the silly one eyed sharingan bearer cannot protect his kits..."

"Yeah, well, the one eyed sharingan bearer ain't exactly impressed me with his training regimen, so keep an eye on 'em." Ranma frowned. Like the demon to his back, it was probably completely unnecessary to worry about. Unlike the demon, he knew all about interesting times and had since decided to err on the side of paranoia.

"I shall, keep an eye on him, as you eloquently put it," Kyuubi merely chuckled. "For lack of his other."

"Then I got shit to do," Ranma rose to stand and took a step off the building, landing on the sidewalk below and only raising a few pedestrian eyebrows. The shapely girl landing next to him in short yukata and fishnets gathered a few more. Ranma noticed the soft landing and turned to the predatory looking girl off to his right. "Shouldn't you be chasin' after them?"

"I'm _in _the whelp, ignorant child," Kyuubi stated with arrogant humor. "How much closer can I possibly _be_?"

"But you're... That's not..." Ranma blinked, trying to figure out the mechanics of her avatar for himself, then simply gave up after another attempt with a defeated sigh. "You ain't gonna stop pestering me, are ya?"

"When there is such entertainment to be had around you? Hardly."

The martial artist slumped, then resolutely accepted his fate. "Fine, then ya get to help me with the girls."

"And what shapes shall you make them draw in the dirt today?" The teen kitsune bubbled with mirth as she trailed after a grumbling Saotome. "A square? Perhaps a triangle until they are rendered senseless with nausea?"

That caused Ranma Saotome's mood to lighten somewhat as he remembered the results of his particular version of the Hiyru Shoten Ha training; that being four teenagers unable to maintain a straight bearing by the end of the day, if not falling over from the vertigo the exercises had induced. Nor had that been the end of it as he chucked wooden kunai at any of his students, and Naruto by extension, unable to keep that spiral under their feet.

The end results were several bruises, screaming fits and a marked improvement in their spacial awareness in spite of hating his guts by the end of the day. Today may have been the first day of Naruto's mssion, but that didn't mean the remaining girls were going to get a break.

Ranma's smile widened.

Today there would be no spiral training. He'd save that reinforcement exercise for later in the week. Today was left for matters of a more feminine nature. The smile slackened a bit as he was forced to confront the necessary evil of being a kunoichi instructor to a trio of girls. Today was going to be dedicated to kunoichi matters and much as he wasn't looking forward to it, he had the body to play the part.

"What are thinking of, kit?" The orange haired girl at his side spied the wide range of emotion flashing across his face while wondering where her next entertainment might come from.

Ranma sniffed at the inquiry, especially from who it originated from. "Just wonderin' how much I'm gonna regret this side trip to ninja town before it's all said and done."

"Perhaps as much as I regretted mine," The teenage avatar of Kyuubi chuckled darkly, causing the martial artist to glance over as they continued to amble down the street. He cocked his head and forwarded the question that had been on his mind ever since she had gotten loose from her astral prison.

"Yeah, and why did you tear this place up anyway?" He wondered aloud. Kyuubi's girlish face took on an irritated look, but she posed her own question regardless.

"How familiar are you with contracts?"

"Eh, contracts?" Ranma stared cluelessly, prompting further annoyance from the creature maintaining pace beside him.

"Yes, contracts, little hanyou." She reiterated, now sounding as if she were explaining a simple concept to a preschooler. "The pacts between those of the corporeal realm and those of the spirit world?"

The clueless look persisted and Kyuubi produced a labored sigh. "Until you at least have a basic understanding of such matters, do not pester me. I am neither your tutor nor nursemaid."

Ranma simply rolled his eyes at the girl's sour attitude and decided to poke it with a stick. "Nah. Word has it you're something else entirely. What's the word I'm looking for here...?"

Kyuubi's previously round red eyes began to form slitted irises as she watched the boy put an indecisive finger to his lips. "Antagonize me at your peril, pup."

"Yeah, yeah." Ranma rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "Like there's much you're gonna be able to do about it. Hell, I can't even kick your ass without popping that clone body of yours."

Kyuubi's cheek twitched as she considered her tactical options and the reprisals inherent in them. A shadow clone body didn't leave her with much. Fortunately, nine thousand years of existence provided her with many of them... As did Naruto's own recollections. Her eyes narrowed on a small cart and an elderly gentleman manning it. Steam rose from several burners, and a sinister smile crawled across her lips. Ranma noticed it and frowned, looking from her to the object of her attentions.

"What are ya-"

He never got the chance to finish as she broke ranks and crossed the street, dodging lazily around a rickshaw as she homed in on her target with a sweet smile. The old man noticed her as she closed, adjusting his spectacles with a pleasant smile. Ranma trailed after her with mild concern as the old man struck up a conversation with the potential customer.

"What canee do fer you, miss kunoichi?" The vendor drawled pleasantly and the teenage avatar of Kyuubi bounced eagerly.

"Oh yes!" She effused excitedly, scanning over the arrayed eats sizzling on his grills. "I would like five beef teriyaki stickies, six chicken yakitori..." Ranma blinked. The situation felt oddly familiar as he watched the girl track to the left, pointing out a stack of syrupy spheres. "...Ten mochi, five pork buns and another five stickies of the octopus balls."

Even the vendor was left blinking. "Er, to go?"

"Mmm-hmm!" Kyuubi-chan nodded as the old man packed her order up and handed over a modest sized paper bag with all the eats. Ranma starred longingly at it until he heard the next words out of her mouth. They were accompanied by a very evil smile. "And my _boyfriend_will pay for it."

Ranma sputtered his denials but the girl was already walking away, humming a pleasant tune before partaking of her loot. Both stared after the pleasantly shaped girl, then turned to one another. The old man adjusted his spectacles. "Well, son?"

Ranma dug several tan bills out while cursing a certain female kitsune of disreputable origins, shoving a random amount that was sure to cover the purchase toward the street vendor before giving chase to the girl. By the time he had caught up to her only moments later, she was crumpling up the empty bag. The only evidence that it had ever borne foodstuffs of any sort was the stick rolling around her lips like an over-sized toothpick. The spent bag dropped to the ground in her wake, while Ranma sent a disgusted look in her direction. The kitsune girl pretended not to notice and continued to suck the juices from the stick.

"I'm beginnin' to see why they all hate you so much," Ranma noted bitterly, mourning the loss of his cash and the food to his own technique.

"Arriving to a battle of wits unarmed does tend to make for a sore loser," The kitsune quipped haughtily and discarded her toothpick, allowing the martial artist to fall in alongside. Ranma grumbled his discontent, but Kyuubi continued as if she wasn't aware. "You have much to learn, little hanyou."

"Ya keep sayin' that like it's gonna mean something to me," Ranma shook his head as they fell into more familiar banter. "Do I look part demon to you?"

The teenage girl suddenly stopped, fixing the martial artist with a queer look. She stared for another moment until Ranma tired of it. "What?"

"You are quite serious, aren't you? You do not realize...?" Kyuubi pressed, earning little in the way of comprehension from Ranma. She cocked her head curiously before a slow, fanged grin crawled across her face. Ranma's proportionate dread deepened with each centimeter it grew. She clapped her hands together in glee. "Oh, you are such grand entertainment, kit! Absolutely grand!"

"You aren't gonna tell me, are ya?" Ranma guessed almost sullenly. The pernicious smile all but confirmed her answer.

"And when the other monkeys find out, what a stir it will cause!" The demonic kitsune was almost bouncing now. "Of course I won't tell. Neither you nor the brat."

"Yeah, what fun would that be?" Ranma mentioned rhetorically and resumed his course down the street. Kyuubi skipped behind him; far too eagerly for his liking.

"Exactly. You have a proper perspective on such things," She noted and continued to follow along. "Anticipation is something to be cultivated and nurtured."

"Ninja town keeps getting better and better." Ranma deadpanned his lack of amusement upon hearing her explanation and veered off across the street. He rounded a corner off into a side artery and immediately caught sight of his destination, causing his mood to further decline. It was a modest store front amongst others, featuring a sizable plate glass window and vibrant colors. It wasn't the colors that were specifically causing the martial artist's depression; rather what they were applied to.

Kyuubi's mirth settled back into curiosity as she noticed the boy's waning mood coupled to the proximity of the shop. A cursory study of the display within the window merely revealed the wares its owner peddled, not the source of the child's consternation. Why a purveyor of kimono and other such finery would cause the kit such angst was well and beyond her, but the reasoning behind it would undoubtedly prove amusing.

For as much as Kyuubi was amused, Ranma was not. This was mainly due to the fact that he would be walking into the store full of bright kimonos and picking one up himself, as well as the associated accessories to compliment that kimono. The fact that he had been the one to order it for himself only made matters worse. The pigtailed boy glanced from the orange haired girl to the kimono shop while grumbling internally.

_Konoha's just full of necessary_ _evils_, _ain't it?_ He rounded bitterly, but proceeded to advance on the shop regardless. One couldn't be an instructor of kunoichi without _being_ a kunoichi, and this would simply be one more step down that particular path. Ranma sniffed with dry amusement from the privacy of his own thoughts. _Konatsu woulda been a much better for this crap..._

The door chimed with a small bell as he pushed it open and a black haired woman behind the counter immediately took notice, looking up from several sheets of paperwork. "How may I help the both of you?"

Ranma suppressed the flinch with the reminder that he had an audience, while Kyuubi-chan smiled sweetly at him. The martial artist sighed and committed to the follow through. "Yeah, here to pick up a rental."

"Which one?"

"The cloud and dragon one there in the corner," Ranma jabbed his thumb back in the general direction and the kitsune's eyes followed until they happened upon a white and red patterned kimono broken up by clouds and the gold trim of a dragon elegantly spiraling across its silk. Even she had to admit that it was a work of art, and the attendant immediately smiled.

"Of course," She nodded, sliding her paperwork aside in favor of a leather bound scheduling book in its place. "Your sister mentioned you might be picking it up for her."

"Good ol' sis. Always creating more work for me," The boy chuckled dryly, prompting the woman behind the counter to giggle. "Still need the requisition forms?"

The woman nodded again and he slid them across the counter. She made brief notes of them, flicking an errant strand of black hair from her vision to ensure their veracity, then signed it. She plucked the document from her desk and tucked it under the counter with a smile. "I'll be right back."

She was off across the store a moment later, giving the demon behind Ranma a moment to spare towards curiosity. "Such finery... Who shall it be inflicted upon? The monkey with the luminous mind? The one with the diseased eyeballs? Perhaps-"

"I'm inflictin' it upon myself, jackass!" Ranma snapped, whirling on Kyuubi-chan in irritation. The kitsune merely cocked it's head and stared as Ranma noted that his voice had suddenly heightened in pitch. The redhead looked stunned for a moment, but the moment passed and she mumbled yet another curse as she checked her hands and padded her body for the confirmation she really didn't need. "I swear I gotta be finding out what's causing this..."

"All boxed up and read-Oh?" The woman returned with a flat box wrapped in a silver bow. Accompanying the woman and her box was a mystified expression, since the girl who had placed the order to begin with was now standing exactly where she had left her brother. She glanced to the storefront, which nobody had entered or exited through. Suspicion found its way to her face. "You're not trying to pull a fast one on me, are you? My boyfriend is a Chuunin and if he hears-"

"No, no, no!" Ranma waved her off with slight panic at the misunderstanding while Kyuubi chortled softly from behind her. "It's uh.. eh..." Trapped and lacking a sufficiently plausible explanation, the martial artist reached for the one word that seemed to describe any unusual ability within the ninja village. "Eh, it's a bloodline."

The woman blinked, scrutinizing her closely. She then gave her an experimental poke to the breast, causing Ranma's cheek to twitch and a surprise 'oh' to spread across the shop keepers face. "I'm so sorry! Kyuo tells me about them on occasion, but he never mentioned this one!"

"Eh, yeah," Ranma started in dumbfound amazement at how easily the explanation was accepted. "It's, um... I try not flaunt it. Heh."

"It's quite exotic, wouldn't you agree?" Kyuubi-chan inserted innocently, and Ranma's head snapped around with wide eyes, unable to believe she was getting sandbagged so blatantly by the demon.

"Very!" The girl, nodded, looking Ranma over from multiple angles as if she were some exotic bird species. "What's it like? I mean to be both...?"

The redhead's attention snapped back to the girl, eyes wide and completely without a clue as to what to say. After all, nearly everybody else back home would already have their mind made up the instant they saw it. _Pervert. Weirdo. Crossdresser. _The bitter stings nipped at Ranma's thoughts, and it was such she didn't have a wrote answer prepared.

"It's like..." What came out instead was unthinking truth as Ranma struggled to sound somewhat informed. "Um, it's like looking through, ah, different eyes."

"Different eyes?" The woman behind the counter blinked and Ranma struggled to explain even as it felt like she was digging herself deeper and deeper. This could only end badly the more she spoke.

"Yeah, um, close one of your eyes," Ranma hastened to shore up her own logic and the woman closed her left eye, leaving the right chocolate brown one open. "Okay, now just take a look around. Close the right eye and open the left."

The girl did so and began looking around. Both eyes popped open with realization. "Oh! I see what you mean!"

"You do?" Ranma blinked. She wasn't even sure she understood her own nebulous explanation.

"You see things with a slightly different perspective in each body!" The shop keeper clapped her hands with her own cleverness and elaborated, quite pleased with herself. "Just like the eyes; at slightly different angles, but the same eyes."

"Yeah. You got it." Ranma deadpanned, thinking that the proprietor's explanation sounded better than hers starting out.

"A product of slightly different synapse structure and brain chemistry, no doubt," Kyuubi-chan added helpfully and both girls girls looked at her, barely comprehending. The kitsune noticed attention had turned to her after a moment. "Must play merry havoc with her neural... Oh, don't mind me. Please carry on with your mundane affairs."

The redhead and the brunette stared for a moment before the girl behind the counter simply shrugged. "I'll just ask Kyou about it when he gets back."

"Yeah," Ranma replied, staring at the Kitsune in full. The redhead gathered up the package without paying attention, while the orange haired demon stared back smugly. After a moment, the martial artist simply gave up, and returned her attention to the woman. "Back by Thursday, right?"

"No stains, rips, tears, burns any other of the multitudes of occupational hazards that go with being a Shinobi," She nodded, then took a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "And believe me, I know them all."

That, Ranma had to chuckle at. "Won't be taking it outside the gate."

"That's what they all say," The woman quipped and returned to an open notebook to scribble an entry. Ranma took that her cue to leave and did so, box in hand. The kitsune followed and she did her best to ignore her. She failed less than a block later.

"I hate you."

"Did you think my vengeance would settle upon the gnats of this village exclusively?" Kyuubi chortled, causing Ranma to emote a put out look. That too, lasted less than a block as curiosity got the better of her.

"Don't suppose you know what's causing my change, do ya?" Ranma asked cautiously. "Ya seem to know a bit about that sort of thing."

"I am a kitsune, dear whelpling." The orange haired kunoichi replied in a self absorbed tone. "It is my very nature."

"I thought your nature was just being a pain in the ass..." Ranma grumbled to which Kyuubi-chan spared a cheerful sidelong glance.

"Only for precocious kits who deserve such," She smirked, but continued none the less. "It is your chakra routing through that tangled mess the Elder monkey terms a seal."

"Which would be great and all if I could..." Ranma's voice trailed off as her brain made the mental connection with slight wonder. "...Control my chakra?"

"Ah, the smallest things cause lower life forms such delight," Kyuubi mused and the pair continued to walk, Ranma's mind miles away with the revelation.

* * *

"**B**ut I thought she said it was training." Ino complained as she accompanied her other two team members down the street. TenTen shrugged, unsure of the circumstances herself and watched Ino adjust and readjust the tan and gold flecked obi that wrapped around her white and blue pattern kimono.

"I thought so too." The weapons user sympathized and struggled not to fiddle with her own kimono; hers being predominantly navy blue, speckled with cherry blossoms.

"Then why did she tell us to come in these?" The blond balked and continued to adjust the variously restrictive parts that made up her current garb. She spared a moment to glance over at Hinata, who looked obnoxiously at ease in her silver and pink silk wrappings. "Well, Hyuuga girl? Any idea?"

Hinata shook her head, leaving Ino bereft of any significant clue as to what their mutual sensei had in mind... Except that she was a sadist. Or _he_ was a sadist. _Hell, they're both sadists!_Ino decided from her thoughts while trying to divine Ranma's motive. The only thing she could picture in her mind's eye were spirals... Running around with sticks and drawing spirals in the dirt in their kimonos. The girl blanched at the thought.

"But my question is why the Choko Theater?" TenTen continued, her thoughts picking up where her blond counterpart left off. "Acting lessons?"

"If only." Ino huffed as the pair continued, reaching the end of the street and rounding the corner where upon the Theater came into immediate sight. If there was any doubt as to their arrival or they just hadn't noticed the large wooden placard denoting the theater's name, the presence of Kurenai standing outside was a dead giveaway that they had arrived to the correct destination.

"She's pretty." TenTen whispered upon spying the instructor's own sky blue kimono embroidered with yellow vines tracing across its length. It seemed to compliment her pale skin and red eyes, while her adult curves filled out the robe perfectly. Ino nodded while curiosity began to eat away at her.

"Hello girls," The red eyed kunoichi smiled slightly as they closed on the theater entrance, then motioned them off to a side walkway. "Around back with me, please."

"Um, sensei, what's going on?" Ino pressed, asking the question they were all dying to know.

"Saotome-san will be holding a demonstration," Kurenai replied while hiding the fact that she didn't know exactly what the boy was planning himself. Regardless, it always helped to keep up the appearance of omniscience for the genin, and continued on as if she did. "This will undoubtedly be part of your kunoichi training, and he has asked my assistance in acquiring the venue."

"A tea ceremony, sensei?" Hinata guessed as the small path they were traversing opened up into a modest courtyard with traditionally styled ochaya centered on the property that the shy girl recognized. The sight put her at ironic ease, as it and the kimono were formalities she was well familiar with in her own clan dealings. It was certainly a better omen than hand to hand combat or other similarly violent activities, by her estimation.

"Very good, Hinata-chan," Her regular instructor nodded and stepped up onto the aged wooden porch, beckoning them to follow as she slid the door open.

Kurenai's smile flickered into a frown.

The space itself was a spartan affair; Little more than tatami to walk upon and a kotatsu sitting in the center of a room already furnished with the implements required for the ceremony they were about to partake in, including a kettle of steaming water. That wasn't the cause of the frown. The cause of the frown was the tameshigiri audience surrounding the table at various points about the room. The crude paper smiley faces pinned to each target only enhanced the growing pit in her stomach, and she couldn't help but to notice the straw targets' placement patterns. Only some of them were positioned as 'guests'. Others were positioned by the very doorway she was entering through, as if to guard it.

Ranma Saotome was nowhere to be found in the room, though three pieces of paper sat to the side of the table on the ground, labeled 'Ino', 'TenTen' and 'Hinata' respectively with the word 'sit'. Kurenai schooled her frown into a neutral mask, but the setup had already made its impression on the girls filtering in behind her.

"I've got a_ bad_feeling about this," TenTen whispered to Ino, who nodded in brisk agreement. Even Hinata, who had looked somewhat relaxed going into the house, was now uptight. Her solid eyes flicked from target to target, as if one of them were about to spring to life.

"Are... Are we supposed to sit there, sensei?" The Hyuuga heir pointed to their names timidly. Ino had a different reaction entirely.

"No way in hell I'm sitting there!" She hissed, backing up a step as if to emphasis the fact.

"I would sit there were I you, little morsel."

All eyes turned to find a kunoichi their age. Her eyes were red like Kurenai's but they held a subtle iridescent glow hers did not. Also unlike their instructor and themselves by extension, she had not bothered with a kimono. Instead she wore a red yukata with an interwoven design that spiraled with yellow fire. Her orange mane and malicious smile offset the visual theme, and there was only one conclusion the group could come to.

_"You."_Kurenai looked down at the seemingly thirteen year old girl as she stepped past her with an arrogant smile. Her hand eased subtly to a holstered kunai.

"Yes, me again," Kyuubi-chan smirked and took her place within the tea house, eyeing the younger girls. "Sit, for I value my entertainment more than your lives."

The pale kunoichi's cheek twitched with tempered animosity.

All three girls began to pale and TenTen's voice came out a bit higher than usual as she attempted to divert the girl's attention to less than lethal topics. "Weren't you... I mean, you looked... Older?"

"Do not bother me with trivial matters, monkeylette," The demon girl dismissed the observation entirely, and waved her toward their places with a kindly smile. "Now sit. Sit, before I devour you."

The girl's eyes widened and all three scurried into place. Kurenai cast a cold glare at the kitsune, whispering, "Continue this and I will disperse you here and now regardless of your arrangements."

"Did I offend your fragile sensibilities?" Kyuubi-chan mocked her with false sympathy, shaking her head. "Rest assured, I merely prod the kits to their places at the behest of the changeling."

The kunoichi was about to air her own rebuttal when the door slid back open, and Kurenai's retort died on her lips as the aforementioned changeling entered the tea house. She could only boggle at the girl that stepped across the threshold and had to all but force herself to associate the graceful, demure redhead before her with the brash martial artist she had insisted on taking this role to begin with.

Even the girls were entranced. The pig tail was gone now, replaced by a more traditional taka shimada hairstyle held together in an elegant knot and a pair of elaborate decorative pins. Just as the pigtail was absent, so too was any trace of the ego they had come to associate with their sensei. The girl before them was the antithesis of that person, taking measured steps across the room while keeping her own gaze conservative and low.

Ranma passed her audience without acknowledging them and rounded the table to take her ordained position. She smoothed the white and red of her elaborate dragon kimono out and lowered herself to the table with impeccable grace that only two people in the room would appreciate.

The first was Kurenai, who watched as the girl before them arranged the chadōgu implements in precise order upon sitting, washing each as if it were something more than a means to an end before placing it back into exact position as dictated by the ceremony. The team eight instructor watched carefully, denoting every step, executed with perfection she herself would be hard pressed to match. Kurenai knew she could perform the ceremony, but only because she was a kunoichi by trade. This girl, boy, _changeling_ before her wasn't even that twenty four seven and it pained Kurenai to admit she would be hard pressed to duplicate the skill she was now a witness to, even if there was a slight discrepancy here and there. Kurenai chalked those up to cultural differences and continued to watch.

The second person was Hinata Hyuuga. Clan Hyuuga was stepped in tradition and one didn't grow up in Konoha's most prestigious family without such niceties being drilled into them... _from birth_. The shy genin knew exactly what she was watching: An art every bit as precise as the juuken; where any imperfection was its own pitfall. Her tutors had belabored the point with each mistake; that wars could be started or avoided through a tea ceremony, or the flawed execution thereof. Special castes were even dedicated to the art, and the Hyuuga employed their services on occasion. In short, Hinata Hyuuga's training was the best money could buy, which gave her a unique perspective on the ceremony unfolding before her.

To her awe, their ill mannered, abrasive instructor was quite possibly one of the best she had ever seen.

For Ino and TenTen, the event was more or less a spectator sport, though even they could appreciate the grace by which it was executed. They watched the tea measured out and whisked with precise care, even forgetting for a moment that the girl before them was quite possibly the bane of their existence. Kyuubi-chan watched it all from a different viewpoint. The age old demon could have cared less as to the ceremony or its significance. It was simply another useless ceremony amongst a myriad of useless ceremonies practiced by the various monkey tribes of the land, but this one was _interesting. _Not for the events playing out before her, but for the being practicing them.

That person was gone; completely subsumed by the creature before her as if the body truly was merely a shell. It was an odd dichotomy that the hanyou had so completely immersed herself in the task that the demon herself, a natural born shape-shifter, was hard pressed to tell her former ally from the person kneeling at the table.

Within ten minutes of the ritual, two cups of thick tea had been prepared and redheaded master of ceremonies bowed to her tameshigiri guest and gently proffered the tea to it. In lieu of actual appendages to receive the offering, Ranma set the tea down gently, completing the ceremony...

...And then killed everybody in the room.

As soon as the fragile cup was set upon the table, the girl exploded into motion at a speed that was nearly impossible to track. The fabric of her kimono swirled around her for a brief second before the motion settle with the redhead half kneeling and arms open wide. The girls and Kurenai literally had no time to react to the sudden burst of movement but the results of that two second flurry were readily apparently even as cascades of luminous red hair far too long to be natural drifted back down into place along her back.

Ranma's first tameshigiri guest was completely decapitated. If Kurenai had to guess, by the rigid obi the girl now wielded in her left hand like a sword. It was straight as an iron rod and had passed through the mat target like a hot kunai through butter. The three straw targets behind it also took slashing damage, two eviscerated at waist and deprived of nearly half a meter of height.

There was no way the obi strip could have reached that far.

The third member of Ranma's audience had taken a chashaku spoon to its paper forehead, embedding sixteen out of its eighteen centimeter length into the dense target. The guards manning the tea house door were also quite dead by any standard, since they, too, had taken a pair of head-shots courtesy of the kanzashi hair pins now growing out of their simulated face; one for each eye. The final two tameshigiri had only slightly more discrete damage inflicted upon them in the form of a salvo of senbon needles. There was little doubt the they were dead, though Kurenai suspected their placement below the heads were more than likely pressure points of some form. Paralyzing or lethal, it hardly mattered.

Ranma Saotome, sensei of special team thirteen had just eliminated eight targets in less than two seconds and had done so minimally armed.

The words 'holy shit' were just about to drop out of the jounin's mouth, but had Ino to thank for preempting her rather obvious display of unprofessional shock.

"WHAT THE HELL?" The blond screeched, her head whipping from target to target as their instructor recovered from her ending stance to smooth out the kimono. The obi suddenly slackened back into the consistency of actual fabric, falling limp in her hand to once again be retied to her person.

"Now Ino, please calm down," Kurenai tried to placate the panicking girl, who was now gaping at her own sensei, then turned back to the red eyed kunoichi.

"B-B-B-Buuut she killed that one with the tea spoon!" Ino sputtered, now more frightened of the redhead than ever before.

It was a rather unorthodox way dispatch a target, but it would definitely do the job. That was also the least of her concerns right now as she watched their part time kunoichi enigma produce a final respectful bow and removed herself from the room as gracefully as she had entered. The tea house door slid closed and Kurenai decided to take it upon herself to explain what the girls had just seen.

"What you have just witnessed was an assassination of a high level official and his entourage," The woman noted, wandering the space and around the stricken tameshigiri, pointing out their positioning. "The official, his advisers and body guards all dispatched by a single, minimally armed kunoichi posing as an elite geisha."

"Elite, huh?" The door slid back open, revealing the very same same redhead that had just performed. This one, however, was on hundred and eighty degrees away from conservative and demure. Ranma strode back into the room with aggressive grace and a smirk, dispelling the illusion further. "I think I like the sound of that."

Kurenai suppressed rolling her eyes with the unabashed display of ego in favor of actually trying to drive home the lesson. "As a kunoichi, your survival will very well depend on your ability to infiltrate, gather intelligence and assassinate targets without being detected; often well beyond normal support."

"But with a tea spoon?" Ino's cheek twitched, and Ranma shrugged.

"What? You think they're going to let you walk in some place like this with weapons?" The martial artist shook her head, motioning to their tea house environment as a whole. "Improvise, adapt and overcome."

"Ah, sensei?" TenTen raised her hand as if she were back at the academy. "Did you really cut through that target with your obi?"

"Anything Goes Iron Cloth," Ranma confirmed and demonstrated. This time her actions were slower than the blur from moments ago as she pulled at the knot and whipped the obi off her person to snap at empty air. Instead of slackening as expected, the silk fabric turned unyieldingly rigid. TenTen's eyes widened; her mouth dropping into a silent 'oh' as her intellect applied the technique to her own realm of weapons expertise. The redhead smiled at her reaction. "I'm workin' on an Iron Cloth combat style, but am still going to need a better handle on chakra to be able to teach it."

"What sort of combat style?" Kurenai asked with equal measures of curiosity and precaution; not for herself but the girls she would be teaching. Ranma seemed to consider the request and shrugged as if coming to a decision.

"Martial arts rhythmic gymnastics mean anything to you?" Ranma asked, prompting little in the way of recognition. The reaction was expected and she began to herd her audience to the far side of the room, then retied the obi to her waist. "Silk here ain't the only thing you can convert to iron cloth."

The redhead raised the sleeves of her kimono, revealing her forearms wrapped in ragged white cloth, She began to loosen its tension. "'Nata's cousin gave me the idea. Stand back."

The girls did so and watched as Ranma thrust her arms straight out to her sides in preparation. the wraps hung loose around her forearms and their special instructor took a deep breath.

_"HiiiYAH!"_

The part time kunoichi pivoted back into an impossible blur once more and the cloth unraveled in her wake, creating a wide, graceful arc behind her guiding hands. One of the arcs intersected with a previously stricken tameshigiri to slice cleanly through it. Its bisected length was only beginning to slide away when it was slashed again by another cloth loop a fraction of a second later. Targets two and three were next as Ranma changed the pattern of the whirling chaos. The razor storm descended onto four, five and six even as the previous victims died, and her technique end with an audible snap as she jerked the cloth into a straight edge.

Ranma's arms fell to her sides with a rippling crack; the final two tameshigiri behind her person having been impaled by a pair of fabric spear points that lanced through what would have been the chest of a real person. She held their position for a moment and jerked them away, finally allowing the cloth to return to its regular, malleable state.

Silence reigned for the next few seconds until one of the girls worked up the nerve to speak. Surprisingly, it was Hinata. "You... You're going to teach us how to do that?"

"Don't see why not," Ranma commented easily as she rolled the bandages back around her forearms. "Chakra will have to wait, but we can get started on the form right now."

"Sweet!" Ino blurted as her special instructor turned back to the door. Her enthusiasm withered and died with the redhead's next words.

"Just wait here while I get some rope."

* * *

"**T**here's talk going around." Kurenai mentioned. Were one looking at directly at her they would notice a relatively neutral expression inhabiting her pale features. This would not be unusual for the Jounin instructor, save the fact that her eyes darted up and down every now and then as she watched the training play out before her.

"Oh yeah?" Ranma sat on the log next to her, likewise watching the training occurring about practice range number three. Her blue eyes bobbed up and down in time with the kunoichi next to her. Unlike her counterpart a slightly crooked smile rested upon her face as she supervised the activities of special team thirteen.

"Some of the other council members," The pale kunoichi nodded. Her eyes bobbed up once more and then she winced, cocking her head. She sighed. "There have been doubts expressed."

"YOU BETTER DO BETTER THAN THAT, TEN! I WANT SQUARES THIS TIME!" The redhead leaned forward aggressively, hollering out before leaning back to resume the conversation in a more civil manner. "What are they sayin'?"

Another wince crossed Kurenai's face, her gaze having never left the field. "That your training methods boarder on cruel and unusual."

"I grow tired of waiting, little hanyou."

"Give 'em another five." Ranma glanced to her right to placate the kitsune girl. The Team Eight instructor watched the demonic avatar huff her dissatisfaction, but returned to watching the girls as the Kyuubi's handler continued. "You think this is cruel and unusual? You should meet my old man."

"What about him?" Kurenai asked idly as she tracked each of the three girls, bound by rope so their movements were heavily restricted. Only their hands were free to twirl frilly gymnastics ribbons in shapes directed by the redhead beside her. Their feet were allowed movement too, but only to facilitate movement using their toes.

"His idea of speed trainin' was chucking bee hives at ya to dodge the buggers."

The twenty-some jounin actually frowned. "The more I hear of the man, the less respect I hold for him."

"Don't get me wrong, he taught me half of everything I know," The girl shrugged, then cast a bland look to no one in particular. "And was the cause of the other half. The half after that is just plain bad luck, I guess."

Kurenai thought about mentioning that his halves would equate to one hundred fifty percents' worth of training, but decided to let it pass in good taste.

She couldn't have known the number was probably more accurate than not.

"My hands are getting tired, sensei!" Ino whined from across the field. The gymnastics ribbon hung limp in her bound hand and the other girls agreed with her complaint with emphatic nods.

"I guess they're right," Ranma commented agreeably. She turned a glance to Kyuubi. "Waitin's over."

Kurenai watched with concern as a malicious smile crawled across the seemingly young demonic girl's face. "I'm coming for you my little morsels!"

"What?"  
"N-No!"  
"Stay away!"

A thin line of chakra snaked within Kyuubi-chan's grasp, taking the shape of chakra whip. She gave it snap to demonstrate its use to the girls, who immediately attempted to gain distance between themselves and Ranma's psychotic sister. 'Attempted' was unfortunately the key word as the restraining rope applied to them at the beginning of the session hampered their movement to a large degree. In fact, they couldn't actually walk or run, prompting them to squirm and hop away at best speed.

"USE YOUR TOES LIKE I SHOWED YA!" Ranma yelled the advice, and her team desperately tried to revise their movement methodology as the kitsune sauntered onto the field. The chakra whip cracked again and the chase was on.

"I might be inclined to agree with the others at this rate," Kurenai mumbled, but not so low that Ranma couldn't hear and inject her own thoughts on the matter.

"Nah, don't worry about her," The redhead commented, motioning to the orange haired demon chasing her students around the field. "She won't hurt 'em."

"And how can you be so certain?" The kunoichi wondered with a healthy amount of skepticism evident in her voice. This was, after all, the same demon that had all but destroyed the village not so long ago.

"You guys kept her in solitary for thirteen years," Ranma shrugged, monitoring Kyuubi's antics for herself. "She's ain't gonna jeopardize her freedom to screw a couple of kids over."

"Implying there may be something she _would_ jeopardize it for." The red eyed nin narrowed her gaze on the kitsune pursuing the children.

"That's why ya got me." Ranma added, unable to disagree. Her own expression was as neutral as Kurenai's now.

Kurenai nodded, silent for a moment before deciding to turn to lighter topics. Her study turned upon Ranma herself and the luxurious red mane she now bore. "So, about your hair..."

The martial artist sniffed, fingering the red coils that draped over her shoulders and down to the middle of her back. Unwilling to tell the whole damn story again, she substituted bullshit instead. "S-rank technique. If I told ya I'd have to kill ya."

The nin blinked with slight disappointment. It really was beautiful, but had little choice but to take her charge seriously.

* * *

**N**aruto had never seen death before. In spite of his proclamations to be Hokage and unrivalled enthusiasm, the boy had never set foot outside the village and had never to consider his own demise. There had been the local violence directed at his person, of course, the reason for that only becoming recently known. People were scared of what was inside of him and he had seen a beating or two growing up because of it. Even so, other nins usually intervened before it got too bad and Naruto Uzumaki never truly feared for his life...

...Until now.

Until Kakashi-sensei was ripped apart before his very eyes by a razor linked whip.

"_One down_!" One of the masked nin proclaimed, and both turned their sights on the next preplanned target: The blond in the obnoxiously bright orange jacket.

The only thing Naruto could really see was their eyes as they focused on him, but there was only one thing of note they contained: _his death._He froze. A shadow passed over him and Sasuke was already in the air, shuriken in hand. The last Uchiha hurled it even as the razor whip approached its apex and managed a hit, entangling the projectile in its coils even as he retrieved a kunai. His next throw demonstrated why he was the first in his class. The point found the star's center, lodging itself into the gap and carrying it and the whip back on the momentum to embedded itself into the nearest tree three meters behind the nins.

The missing nins pulled at their whip, only to find it now anchored to the tree at their backs. A second yank yielded the same result as the first, but it did give Sasuke the opportunity to engage them directly. The academy's number one genin landed nearly on top of them and prepared engaged the pair directly.

Sasuke's first punch slammed into the side of the first nin's cheek and the meaty slap broke through the paralysis that had seized Naruto's brain. Two targets, close range, fully occupied._ Anything goes._

A month ago, Naruto Uzumaki had little in the way of specialized hand to hand combat training. Even in the academy, most of the instructors did the absolute minimum to ensure that the blond trouble making jinchuuriki wasn't a black mark on their performance reviews. Had they actually invested the time and effort to train the boy properly, they would have realized that the son of the Fourth Hokage of Konoha was easily capable of learning the curriculum; all the way and up to forbidden S-Rank techniques. Their prejudice and shortsightedness ensured they wouldn't.

Somebody else, however, did.

The slap of Sasuke's fist against the right missing nin triggered Naruto's reflex memory almost against his will even as the words of his early morning instructor echoed through his consciousness. _'Mobility is eighty percent of your battle. If they can't get to you...'_

_...They can't hurt you. _Naruto Uzumaki committed to the reflex in full and stepped inside the metal talon grip that had been extending toward him even as Sasuke continued his two pronged assault. Their attention was on him, giving Naruto all the time in the world to line up his kick and take the right nin's knee cap out as the open salvo of his own combination. A hiss of pain accompanied the hollow pop, and the nin's balance was terminally compromised. Sasuke rained his punches in from on high. Naruto took him apart from the inside, unleashing several heavy blows in an attempt to break the rogue nin's ribs before ending with left arm, shoving an open palm through the elbow's reverse to render it just as useless.

He had also remained inside the nukenin's combat radius for too long and failed to heed Ranma's next bit of advice: _Get in, get out._ The right arm was still fully functional and the nin himself a veteran used to pain. Even as he fell to a knee, he still had the sense to take advantage of the fact that his opponent was still within the range of his razor gauntlet. The hard slice came in even as Naruto was congratulating himself; the flash of sunlight out of the corner of his eye being his only warning. It was enough to ensure that the nin's swing wasn't decisively fatal, however.

The blond genin kicked back and was raked across the chest by four of the five razor fingers seeking to gut him outright. Naruto's orange jacket was ripped wide open and blood sprayed with the gash. Pain coursed across his torso as he recovered from his own roll out, panting. His opponent was struggling to remain upright, giving the genin a moment to track the rest of their fight. Sasuke had moved to interpose himself between the other nin and Sakura, who was bodily protecting their mutual client. The nin charged the trio, his gauntlet slicing through the air. Naruto want to scream a warning, anything to stop the obvious outcome when a blur took shape in front of the trio.

The attacking nin tried to pull his attack at the last second but was already well within Kakashi's reach. Naruto only saw a blur as his opening combination caught one of the arms and used the nin's own momentum against him, slamming the man hard to the earth with seemingly little effort. The ground buckled with the impact and the man was out cold. A single, lazy eye turned on Naruto's opponent.

"With that knee, I don't think you'll get too far." He commented, walking around his blond student. "How about you just surrender and call it a day?"

The nin scrambled for some form of offensive action. The Team Seven lead blurred, instantly reappearing next to the crippled nin to deliver a heavy handed chop to the back of the neck. The nukenin fell over, just as unconscious as his ally.

"Guess not." Kakashi deadpanned, looking back to check on Naruto. "Hidden Mist nins. Normally I'd worry about poison from something like that, but it's not deep and bleeding pretty freely. Still might need to get it wrapped up."

Naruto brought a the hand clutching his own chest out and stared down at it. It was dripping with blood, transfixing him. Another quick glance over at his chief rival revealed barely a hair out of place, and here he was covered with blood! Was his own skill level so far below that he could barely-!

"Naruto." Kakashi stated, noting the boy's thousand yard stare. The blond was still transfixed by his own bloody hand, forcing the instructor to repeat his name with more force. The genin blinked several times before finally focusing on his team lead, who was pulling out a roll of bandages. "Open your jacket up. Let's see what we have."

The boy opened up what remained of his jacket, exposing the likewise torn black tee beneath. Kakashi ripped the useless garment away and began to apply the bandage by wrapping it around his torso, noting that whatever the wound was now, it should have been far worse. Regardless, he took the moment to debrief his team as a whole.

"Sasuke, good reactions," The boy had affected a superior look, at least until Kakashi continued. "Next time don't stand in one place for so long. That last nin was about to kill you. Same with you Naruto."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked.

"I wasn't expecting you to go toe to toe with a chuunin. Good job." Kakashi admitted, still somewhat surprised by the dead last genin's first field performance. Sasuke was less pleased by the praise as evidenced by the cold look he directed at Naruto. It went completely unnoticed. "But one second later and he would have had you cut in half. Never stop moving."

"Y-Yes, sensei." The still partially shell shocked blond nodded as the jounin finished up.

"Sakura, I didn't expect you to just stand there in front of the client," Kakashi continued, giving his work a quick inspection before rising to height. He collected the first unconscious nin by hefting him over his shoulder, then the second one in the same manner. He carried them over to a nearby tree as he spoke. "Maybe some sparring with Sasuke or Naruto will help your reactions."

"Sa-Sasuke would be fine." The girl stumbled over herself as her cheeks flushed pink. Sasuke emoted little more than indifference. Naruto was crest fallen over the choice, though the sudden stab of pain along his chest induced by his melodramatics forced him to pay the bandaged wound more attention.

Kakashi retrieved a length of rope from his pack and began to bind the Mist nins to the chosen tree. Several coils later he had secured them tightly, but had eyes only for his client who in turn began to fidget. "Is there something you would like to tell us, Tazuna-san?"

"Ah, you see," All eyes were on the older man now as he hesitated and adjusted his kasa. He glanced at the nins who were only beginning to regain consciousness. "It's about this mission..."

* * *

**I**ruka Umino flipped anther page of the book he was studying, then glanced up at his current charge, one black haired teen that could have easily passed as one of his students if not for the fact that he was a seventeen year old in a thirteen year old body. The instructor took mental notes and glanced to the girl standing by next to the boy.

"Vishuddah three?" He inquired, and Hinata's finger traced up Ranma's chest to his throat, pinpointing a spot on the left side of his neck, resting the tip of her index finger lightly on it. It was much easier to find now that the red length of hair was absent from her instructor's person, and she couldn't help but to wonder if it had disappeared with the gender switch.

Ranma tried to glance at the hand on his neck, then Hinata, then Iruka with a bland look. "This is gonna hurt, ain't it?"

"It won't be pleasant." Iruka confirmed and turned back to the book, his own finger gliding down the text until coming to stop on a relevant section. he continued reading for another few seconds before returning to the Hyuuga heir with a look. "Do it."

The sharp poke was nothing to the martial artist who had endured the blows from the best martial artist the world had to offer. The spike of chakra closing the tenketsu along his neck damn near drove him to his knees with the unexpected pain. Ranma stifled the yelp that threatened to escape his surprised lips and rode the agony out, sucking down air in rapid breaths as if it were about to become a scarce commodity.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Sensei! I didn't mean to..." Hinata's desperate run-on apologies went unnoticed and it wasn't until Iruka began to pry his grip from the desk did the martial artist realize the crest of pain had subsided into an acute ache.

"Ranma?" The instructor prodded the boy, then began to loosen the fingers that had clamped into the student desk he had been sitting at. The fingers proved to be surprisingly immobile, but the child's awareness was back in the real world now and his hand suddenly snapped free. The crushed splinter of desk edge raised an eyebrow, but Iruka turned his attention to ensuring that his chakra student hadn't sustained permanent injury. "You're still with us, right?"

"Dammit that hurt!" Ranma blurted, causing the girl beside him to cringe. "Even worse than when the old man taught me the snake fist! With real goddamn snakes!"

"I hope I didn't... I mean I won't do it again..." Hinata stammered, prompting Ranma to blink at her.

"You did exactly what I asked," He overrode her with a strained smile, then yawed his neck in adjustment. "Is that what it feels like if your cousin connects with the trigrams thing?"

Hinata nodded timidly. "Yes, sensei."

"And closes down the chakra pathways," Iruka added sympathetically. He had never heard of anybody voluntarily undergoing tenketsu closure, but it had been their only substantive idea thus far and the boy had jumped on. _Maybe he'll have enough sense to try something else,_ the academy instructor thought to himself as Ranma continued to rub the sore spot. "Perhaps we should find an alternate-"

"Gonna have to learn that," Ranma mumbled introspectively before cutting Iruka off entirely. "What's the next one?"

"Ma- Manipura seven." Iruka did his best to conceal his verbal stumble at the hands of surprise by quickly consulting his text. He had known the boy was driven, but the Juuken was a feared art for a reason. Half that reason was the pain. It just so happened that the other half was the effect they actually sought. While the scarred nin had come to realize that Ranma was a very means to an end person, this bordered on ridiculous.

"S-Sensei?" Hinata hesitated, and Ranma threw a grin her way.

"S'kay, 'Nada," Ranma nodded, seeming to understand her hesitation. "Anything worth havin' is worth a little pain. Hit me."

The shy girl blinked, seeming to contemplate his words thoughtfully before turning back to Iruka. "Manipura... seven?"

_And now he's even gotten the buy-in of the shyest genin ever, _Iruka wanted to shake his head in amazement but instead nodded his confirmation instead. "Manipura seven."

Her finger seemed to trace along invisible lines above the blue of Ranma's tunic before coming to a stop along his abdomen, just left of center. With one last look, she formed the chakra spike and brought the pain.

Again.

_And again._

All told, Hinata brought the pain a total of seven more times over the space of a half hour, and by the time she had finished with the final tenketsu, Ranma was a tense mass of strained muscle, raw nerves and sweaty disposition, panting with the exertion.

"Ya sure... Sure know how to show a guy a good time..." Ranma managed between pants, releasing the grip that had found its home at the desk corner. After a total eight tenketsu closures, it was little more than splinters. He failed to notice the Hyuuga's fierce blushing as he stood up, trying to uncoil his strained muscles through the healthy residual pain. "That was the last one, right?"

"Indeed," Iruka mopped the sweat from his own brow. Watching what amounted to a session of torture hadn't exactly been easy on him either. Every tenketsu seemed to ripple pain through the thirteen year old boy and he had to fight every instinct he possessed as an educator to stop it and instead let the process continue. "Luckily the next part is simpler."

"Kai?"

"Kai." The instructor confirmed the next step.

"Yeah, gonna have to give me a moment on that," Ranma huffed, still rubbing out the various parts of his body that felt like a somebody had stabbed him with a senbon multiple times in the same place.

"I'll prepare the genjustu then," Iruka nodded, and his hand flashed through a simple set of seals. Hinata's solid eyes suddenly began tracking open space and she opened her mouth to speak, only to be hushed by her former academy instructor. He put his finger to his lips and turned back to Ranma. "Remember, stop the chakra and pulse it. It will be flowing through a limited number of tenketsu so you should feel something. If you dispel the jutsu, that's just a bonus."

Ranma swatted lazily at a fly that had entered the room through the open window of the afternoon day. He was firmly focused on advancing his art, however and let the fly escape unscathed. "Let's do it."

"Just like the previous exercises then," Iruka nodded. "Just what you think you can do safely."

"I know I know, not like the first time," Ranma snorted at the lecture well worn in his mind and clasped his hands together, index fingers pointing toward the ceiling. "Alright then. Three, two, one... _Kai!_"

The world blurred ever so slightly.

That was almost unimportant compared to the pressure he had felt on the inside this time. This time the martial artist felt something like fire burning through his body and then dissipate; the first time he had felt anything of the sort before. He cocked his head, analyzing the feeling and committing it to memory before turning back to Iruka and Hinata. "I actually felt it that time."

"Oh, thank God." Iruka actually let a long sigh of relief escape, happy beyond words that something finally worked and that they wouldn't be plugging up any more of the boy's chakra points. He moved on to the next phase, turning to Hinata. "Do we know how long they'll remain closed?"

"Father-sama says a half hour on a regular nin," Hinata replied, almost steadily as she let the Byakugan slip way. Her face seemed to immediately relax as she discontinued the bloodline.

"So we might have a bit longer since yours aren't fully developed," Iruka assumed, continuing the hypothesis. for Ranma's sake. "We'll continue the release exercises, then. It should... And I stress _should_-

"Bein' that I'm the guinea pig and all."

"Er, yes," The instructor coughed politely at the horribly direct assessment. "It should help build your rei to usable levels, which can then be fused with the ki to actually mold chakra."

"Then let's get crackin'." Ranma crooked a smile, then nodded to Hinata. "Kurenai's probably lookin' for you. You've been loads of help though. Get going."

The girl nodded and was already walking toward the door by the time Ranma reformed his grip into the traditional hand sign to dispel genjutsu. Iruka smiled after the girl and returned his attention to Ranma. "Deep breaths. No reason to go overboard."

Ranma took the deep breaths again and dispensed with the traditional yell, forcing that wispy mass of warmth inside him to bubble. The bubble popped as he applied pressure and the world rippled for all of about a split second.

That, and his gut burned like Akane's left over yakisoba.

He winced with both the memory of that particular meal and the being so far removed from the girl, but there was little he could do about either and resolved to focus on today's particular goal: Building rei. As he would come to find, even that would prove difficult. Five releases would be his personal best before the agony in his midsection began to transition from debilitating discomfort to molten lava. Iruka theorized that the shutdown of so many major points was straining the secondary tenketsu too much and then threatened to call the med nins if he attempted another one.

It was a moot point anyway. The chakra points had already begun to reopen and the wispy feeling of rei under pressure had begun to dissipate as expected. The pain, however, did not. Iruka insisted it was time for Ranma and his thirteen year old gut to call it a day. Much as he was a fan of training, Ranma had to agree this once.

_Five_. Ranma chewed on the meager number as it related to his progress in developing honest to God chakra as he exited Iruka's classroom for himself, walking down the halls of the academy. An occasional kid ninja would run across his path without a care in the world, and Ranma couldn't help but to smile. Not a care in the world except learning martial arts and ninja stuff all day long. _What a life, _he chuckled internally, occasionally catching the glimpse of a class in session through an open door.

Of course, there was the flip side to that, Ranma realized as he came to the end of the hall and pushed the door open into the waning afternoon sun. Feisty little ninja kids grew up to be big bad ninja adults in a ninja eat ninja world. Even after nearly a month and a half living under in the same walls, it was a reality check of sorts. Most of his experience had come from something other than life or death circumstance. _That only happened later, _the pigtailed boy scoffed as he resumed the comparison. To some extent, his stay in Konoha had helped him realize exactly what his father had been hoping to accomplish with his unorthodox and sometimes plainly insane methods of training. He didn't have a ninja world to raise his kid in. No samurai. No feudal pressure. He had modern Tokyo where martial arts was being pushed off to the side like a hobby.

_And martial artists of my caliber? Pfft._ Ranma shook his head. Genma Saotome: slothful parental unit or insanely brilliant martial artist?

_Or both, _Ranma mused, as he continued along the stone path that led to the academy gates. _The old Panda didn't have a ninja world, so he created his goddamn own for me_? He shook his head as the very thought brought on ever more disturbing possibilities. Was his father really just a lazy eccentric, or was the entire training trip and his activities manufactured to create just the sort of martial arts pressure cooker required when one lacked the actual environment to fully develop a martial arts prodigy?

Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts stopped just short of the school gate as he fully considered the implications. He almost preferred the lazy eccentric angle, since the other alternative made him out to be a scarier man then he thought possible. _And I still wouldn't know whether to kick his ass for it or thank him_, the pigtailed boy sighed and opened the wooden gate. The question remained on his mind until he caught sight of just who was waiting for him outside and across the street. Ranma smirked at the person and decided today he would thank the old man.

Tomorrow might be a different story.

Neji Hyuuga certainly wasn't the average opponent by Ranma's estimation. In Tokyo, he would have been in the upper bracket with more than enough skill to give the average black belt a good pasting. Under the right circumstances and on a clear day, blue skies and his eyeballs up, he could probably give the pig boy a run for his money. _Definitely the fiancées, _though Ranma was all but certain the kid would fold with the first solid blow that landed.

The martial artist watched the teen in his light tan jacket and cargo pants tense upon catching sight of him, all but assuring Ranma that the boy had come prepared for a confrontation. _Just not a martial arts one_, he read the body language. _And it don't seem like you're one to talk much, _he decided and committed to the tried and true tactic of throwing his opponent off balance by moving into the offensive. Ranma made solid eye contact with the genin's white eyes, threw another layer of antagonism onto the smirk and crossed the street directly for him.

"Rematches are gonna have to wait," Ranma advised him straight out, causing the Hyuuga branch heir to blink several times in succession. "Got shit to do and not enough time in the day to do it."

The pain in his abdomen had nothing to do with it, either.

Ranma kept walking and after a moment's hesitation, Neji fell in step beside him, plying him with a question of self importance directly. "And what is so important as to deny a word with me?"

"Teachin' your sister how to kick your ass like I did yesterday," Ranma tossed a broad smile back at him and the sudden spike of animosity radiating at his back was its own reward. After a moment, it died down much to the Saotome's surprise.

"You're baiting me." Neji stated, as if he knew it to be certain fact. "_Again._"

"I call it an icebreaker," Ranma shrugged and kept walking while making mental notes as to the kid's insight. _Too damn observant, _he decided, resolving to be wary against him in future match-ups. Somebody like Ryoga he could goad into a Hiryu Shoten Ha spiral all day long. This kid? Using the same gimmick on him twice would be risky at best. "Doesn't make it any less true, though."

"Hmmf." Neji sniffed with plain contempt, looking down at the younger teenager he walked beside. "Then let me be plain. You made a remark about the Hyuuga clan head the other day."

"Sir Sticks-up-his-ass? What about him?" Ranma snorted with amusement at his own humor. The Hyuuga surprised him yet again by not just failing to rise to the bait, but_ completely _failing to rise to the bait. In fact, he was now looking down those spare inches of height with a surprised look.

"Hiashi Hyuuga." Neji confirmed, still almost in awe of the complete an utter amount of disrespect the purported special team lead was displaying toward not only a clan head, but one of the most important clan heads in all of Konoha. "Why?"

Ranma stopped as he began to grow tired of the questioning. Neji stopped as well. "Why _what?_"

"Why do you not afford him the respect due his station?" Bewilderment was plainly evident in the branch heir's tone, and Ranma was all but forced to take the question at face value.

"'Cuz he's a stuck-up, overbred rooster." Ranma decided to give it to the kid straight. "Most people in his position aren't any better than the people they lord themselves over on, and I sure ain't gonna give him respect he hasn't earned."

"You associate his character with my own." It wasn't a question, but Ranma could see that the genin was seeking confirmation one way or the other. He didn't keep Neji waiting.

"You're kidding, right?" Ranma produced a dry laugh. "You look so far down your nose at people that you could probably stab 'em with it."

"What?" Neji blinked as the distinct sound of an insult perceived crept into his voice.

"Ya heard me." Ranma continued the verbal assault. "Hell, you and Hiashi could probably make it an S-class technique out of it. Nose-glare no jutsu or something."

"I'm_ not _Hiashi Hyuuga." Neji managed, as if stunned and insulted the comparison was even being made.

"Thought you were his kid until 'Nada set me straight." Ranma shrugged and backed off just a bit with the verbal salvos as he slowly started to get a handle on the odd conversation he was having with the branch heir. "Ya act a lot like him."

Ranma's final observation had an effect, and Neji Hyuuga stiffened. He stared frostily at Ranma for a full fifteen seconds before finally replying bitterly. "I would thank you not to compare me with Hyuuga-san ever again."

Ranma arched an eyebrow at the sudden formality, but held his solid iris stare evenly. "I won't if you won't."

His milky white gaze narrowed as if bordering between cold indifference and anger before the teen turned on a heel and walked away, as if the conversation had never taken place. Ranma watched after the boy for a moment before shrugging. He really did have shit to do and finding out where a certain trouble making kitsune had run off to was at the top of that list.

* * *

**K**urenai Yuhi waited just outside the Third's office as an advisor droned on about some reclamation project just south of the Forest of Death. The old man, not quite the age of the Hokage himself but still graying, prattled on about the necessary funding, manpower, and coming rains that would slow the project if it wasn't at least fifty percent complete by the later part of the year.

For his part, Sarutobi's answers could be heard through the closed door and they had started off as detailed questions, but soon lapsed into mono syllable acknowledgements as the advisor droned on. It was damn near putting the kunoichi waiting outside on the bench to sleep herself; such that she almost missed the Hokage wrap the meeting up; somewhat forcefully if she were to judge his tone.

His patience had obviously expired.

The door opened a few minutes later and the aging advisor backed out, bowing every other step until he had cleared the threshold. The robed old man spared her a look and left without another word, effectively signaling the beginning of her appointment. She looked at the folder in her hand and briefly wondered if it would go better or worse than the advisor who had just departed.

"Come in, Yuhi-san," His wizened voice called out, as if divining her thoughts. The kunoichi steeled herself for what promised to be a somewhat difficult session, thankful only in that her time waiting in the bland antechamber had come to an end.

"Hokage-sama," Kurenai nodded deferentially as she stepped through the door and into his office. It was the antithesis of the room she had just departed; its scrolls and artifacts balancing precariously on the boarder between organization and disarray.

"Please tell me you have something more exciting to report than land acquisitions, drainage plans and zoning permit requests to sign?" The Professor began, never even looking up from his desk as he read a scroll and signed it haphazardly. She closed the door behind her.

"The weekly Saotome report, Hokage-sama." She advised respectfully and the Hokage nodded briefly, replacing the brush back in its ink well as he rolled the scroll up and set it aside to accompany a stack that already occupied the left corner of his desk.

"A soap opera in itself," Sarutobi grunted, shifting in his chair. He adjusted the red and white robe to gain some measure of comfort. "Certain parties are becoming somewhat vocal concerning him, what he has in him and who he associates with."

"I've made him aware of his visibility, Sir." The red eyed nin finished carefully.

"Make him doubly aware then." He held Kurenai's with an unflinching gaze, his hands folded at his chin. "He doesn't have the clan protections certain others with more prominent names have."

"I will, Hokage-sama."

"Prove him to be a solid village asset and it will shore up my hand considerably," The Hokage relented, allowing his subordinate some measure of hope. "Teaching the genin new tricks, however won't be enough."

"Ah, about that..." Kurenai hesitated, earning the aging leader's complete and undivided attention for perhaps the first time since she walked in on the already irritable village elder. He arched an eyebrow and watched her toy with one of the clasps on her open body armor self-consciously.

"Will I be amused?" He asked, wondering what sort of news would earn anything but distant neutrality from the Jounin. Her lips parted slightly to answer the question, but hesitated again. Sarutobi just sighed. "Probably not, then. Let's see the report."

The woman placed the folder on his desk and he leafed through its contents. "Anything goes... Marital Arts Tea Ceremony training? Rhythmic Gymnastics? An S-Rank _hair technique?_" He wanted to smile at what had to be a joke, but he knew the pale woman in front of him almost as well as everybody else that had grown up under his leadership. If there was a joke to be had, it wouldn't be coming from her, and he waited for the other shoe to drop. "Alright, let's have it."

"We should consider a serious update to Saotome's file." Kurenai began somewhat tepidly. "His skills are... _considerable_."

It sounded like an understatement the way she said it, so he pressed for details. "Of course he's skilled. That's why we appointed her to train-"

"Hokage-sama, no. You don't understand," The jounin interrupted in uncharacteristically. "Whoever trained him... her... They trained her as a high assassin, quite possibly daimyo level given what I witnessed."

The Third's grab for his pipe ground to a halt as he considered the woman's words. He withdrew his hand back into the folded position at his chin and regarded her carefully. "I assume you realize what you're insinuating... That position requires a rather _specialized _skill set."

"Eight targets eliminated nearly instantaneously from different attack vectors using four separate techniques." Kurenai outlined as the Hokage took a closer look at the report in hand. "No killing intent, no preparation."

"Konoha hasn't had a daimyo level assassin since before the nine tails." The Third flipped through another page thoughtfully. "To penetrate that many levels of security her performance would have to be flawless."

"Aside from what I'm assuming are cultural discrepancies, she performed the part better than I could," Kurenai nodded. "I had a word with Hinata afterword. Even she was nothing short of amazed..."

"...And the Hyuuga employ nothing but the best for their etiquette training," Sarutobi nodded, noting the connection immediately. Still, there were reservations, and he glanced up to her with them. "Saotome isn't exactly known for finesse in my experience."

"For lack of desire or reason, I suspect," The red eyed kunoichi theorized. "The female form was forced on to her, but when given a reason to use it, her male ego was completely supplanted for the task at hand."

"Training our genin to be kunoichi," Sarutobi finished, to which Kurenai nodded.

"I don't even think she realizes just what that is," She continued. "She's got an ideal in her head; one I'm not even sure I have a handle on yet, and she's training them up to that ideal."

Sarutobi stared at his jounin for a moment, then glanced back down to the report, tapping his finger on its pages in thought. After a full two minutes, he returned his attention to Kurenai. "Then we need to know the length and breadth of that ideal. I don't have to tell you what sort of prestige we could add to our roster by once again accepting that mission class. Still, probe him. Her. Whatever. Skill is one thing. Psychology is quite another. Something tells me _he_ might not be ready for what _she_would have to do."

"Of course, Hokage-sama," The nin nodded seriously. "I'll have the 'Little Kunoichi' talk with her as well."

"Better you than me. Dismissed." He nodded and Kurenai bowed, departing the room to leave him to his own thoughts concerning a certain pigtailed martial artist.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: If you didn't know where we were in the continuity, you do now with the advent of the Wave Mission. Somebody noted some concern in a prior review that the fic is approaching my standard maximum build of about 10-12 chapters, and was worried that I'd be ending this pretty dern soon. Not so! We're only a month and change downrange of Naruto, day zero. There's still lots of ass to kick and two chapters isn't nearly enough time to kick it in ;) To assuage any concerns, I have solid plot out to at least the exams which is_ several_chapters away.

**Iron Cloth**; _File this one under 'anything martial art related Ranma is exposed to he can learn'. Seeing as he learned the Umi Sen Ken after one exposure and some practice via his father to successfully defeat Kumon Ryu. Ranma already seemed to have a good handle on Rythmic Gymnastics before Kodachi's match._

**Martial Arts Tea Ceremony**; _Learned within 24 hours, helping to substantiate the above._

**Demon Brothers;** _Divergence given Ranma's help in basic training. I wonder what else will change? Hmmmm…_

**Bad Hair Day; **_By the end of the dragon whisker arc, Ranma's enhanced hair regen abilities were said to have depleted itself, a fact directly contradicted by the second movie where Cologne helps her style it in order to impress her kidnapper. As such, I'll simply chalk this up to convenience of plot and say the regen ability needed time to "recharge" after so much use in the manga._

**Monkeylette;**_ Materia Blades fault. /yoink!  
_

**Special thanks;** _You know the drill by now. Some __**DD,**__ some __**MB. HolyKnight **__and a dash of __**#scarlet.  
**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Tales of the Foxcat**  
_By Ozzallos_

**Chapter 11**

**R**anma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts panted heavily, sparing a moment to wipe the slight trickle of blood from his lip as he considered his next move with care. His intellect raced as he considered the options available, most of which were analyzed and discarded as leaving him in an even more unfavorable position than he was in now. 'Now' consisted of several cracked ribs, severe bruising, some measure of internal bleeding, and ki output that was half its normal potential even for the body he was in. All in all, not bad for facing somebody three times his age with full access to chakra.

But still not good.

While he could match his opponent's high speed attacks, Ranma had forfeited the majority of his overwhelming strength with the loss of his seventeen year old body two months ago. He was still unreasonably strong for a thirteen year old and if it were only that, he would have been able to make up the deficit through the liberal use of the chestnut fist and other tricks of the trade. Even as it was, his opponent sported a number of bloody bruises himself; even a couple of fractures for taking him too lightly. Bruises and fractures weren't going to be enough for this fight, however.

There was one gap that Ranma simply couldn't bridge and that was raw endurance. It was kicking his ass. He had techniques. The man before him had techniques. Both of them had surprised the other at various points of the duel, but Ranma could see the writing on the wall. Short of killing his opponent or some last minute save, endurance was going to decide the battle. He was slowing down and the man before him was merely inconvenienced, obviously used to protracted battles even if he wasn't used to such a resilient opponent. On any other day prior to stumbling upon ninja world Ranma was all but certain he could take the guy.

That day wasn't today.

Today he was thirteen years old and he could only push his body so hard before it simply ran out of steam. Ranma spared a curse for his circumstance and the lineage of a certain pig-boy as he watched his opponent tire of waiting and step into a tell-tale attack stance.

_Fuck that._

Ranma Saotome resumed his offensive operations first.

* * *

_One Week Ago._

**R**anma Saotome watched the length of range number eight as her girls ran up and down it in an effort to pin their prey. The prey was once again Hinata Hyuuga and once again TenTen and Ino were giving chase in what was appearing to be a largely futile attempt to actually touch her. The redhead on the side of the field watched their progress with a critical eye, noting that their speed and coordination had improved in spite of the fact that neither genin had managed to decisively engage the girl in hand to hand combat. They were getting better, but Hinata was just _that_good.

_In spite of bein' ostracized by her old man,_ Ranma quipped silently while contemplating her next move concerning the team. Hinata was slowly getting used to people going after her and not freezing up. Ino and TenTen were improving by sparring with her. _What to do, what to do,_ Ranma wondered as she explored her options. _Maybe time to get the kids ta start thinkin' on their own._

"Sparrin's over!" Ranma hollered, sitting up from the log she had been thinking on and waved the girls over as she came to a mental consensus. Where as Hinata slid to a graceful stop with the cessation of hostilities, Ino all but tumbled to a halt, panting heavily. TenTen wasn't as winded but she hadn't fared much better. The same went for the walk back to Ranma's base of operation. Hinata merely walked over. The other two all but limped and their instructor waited until they had taken their share of water from the nearby cooler before beginning anew.

"'Nada, good job." The martial artist praised, coaxing a timid smile from the girl. "You too, No-chan and Ten-chan."

"We still can't catch her," Ino retorted bitterly and TenTen nodded in agreement.

"Not the point of that exercise." Ranma shrugged, causing Ino's eyes to widen, suddenly incensed by the revelation.

"You mean we've been chasing her for nothing?"

"If it assuages your tiny ego kit, I have very much enjoyed watching you run around in a futile effort to catch the diseased eyeball girl." Kyuubi smirked from her position in a nearby tree's shade. Ino cast a glare at her and Hinata blinked, only beginning to perceive the insult.

Ranma rolled her eyes, ignoring the kitsune at her back. "Not for nothin'. Everything I do is for a reason."

"But we're never going to catch her!" TenTen all but whined. "She's too fast!"

"_That's _the point." The redhead smiled. The weapon user's face scrunched up in confusion and Ranma elaborated. "Think about it- the only way you'll get better is if you train with somebody better than you are. I'd be willin' to bet that Hinata was the best hand to hand specialist in you class."

Ino was about insert the name Sasuke in, but Ranma didn't even give her a chance as she corrected her own statement. "In fact, I _know_ she is. Nearly as fast as I am and already damn skilled for her age. You're getting better just by tryin' to catch her."

"We are?" TenTen wondered and Ranma watched the revelation form on Ino's face. Hinata's face was pink with all the praise she was receiving, and Ranma counted the small smile still accompanying it a victory for the girl.

"You are." The pigtailed girl confirmed as she paced around the group. "Now it's time to move to the next level.

"Don't tie us up again!" Ino yelped, any pride in her small victory suddenly washing away. After a full week of being tied up and prancing around the field on their toes, it was all she could do not to have nightmares about it and her insane sister chasing them around.

"No, no, not that." Ranma waved her concerns away as if they were inconsequential. "Up to this point, you've been reactin'. I say get Hinata and you go run after her. Now it's time to use this."

They all watched the redheaded girl tap her finger on the side of her head. "'Nata. You're easily the best hand to hand specialist in the group, but ya need more. I could probably round up a few TenTen's and keep you pinned down and out of hand to hand range until I found somethin' or somebody to take you out."

The girl blinked with the frank assessment of her skills and how quickly her instructor had just dismantled the Juuken in its entirety. Ranma's blue eyes turned to Ino. "No, you've got good instincts and the brain thing going on. We'll work on your taijutsu, but ya need to use more of both. From this point on, I want to you to brain your opponent every chance you get. Hinata's a prime example."

"'Brain' my opponent?" Ino's cheek twitched. "The technique has a name, you know!"

"Sure it does," Ranma returned dismissively and continued her assessment. "I can already think of half a dozen ways you can use it to your advantage."

"But I can't even move my own body when I do it!" Ino protest and once again met up with her instructor's complete lack of sympathy.

"Are you kidding?" The redhead scoffed. "You can create holes the size of this village in somebody's combat technique with that move. At very least leave them so far out of position that they can't stop ya when you do return to your body."

The retort the blond had waiting on her tongue suddenly died as Ranma's words sank in, but the Saotome had already moved on to TenTen, including Hinata in her sweeping gaze. "And when she's doing that, I want you both to hammer the hell out of her target. If it stops, it drops."

"But that will hurt me too!" The blond squeaked, earning an unsympathetic shrug.

"Then ya better coordinate with these two ta be outta there before they hit." Ino looked pale and the other two girls all but forced themselves to nod with the order. Ranma focused on TenTen specifically. "Like 'Nata chan, you're over-specialized. Get somebody inside your range or ambush ya and your supreme accuracy suddenly means jack. I'm gonna start you on specialized hand to hand first. Remember the kunai demonstration back when we first met?"

The bun-haired girl nodded, suddenly eager.

"That's actually a hand to hand technique." The redhead added, turning to all of the girls assembled. "She's first, then you all. Either way, from now on you're a team. Even when you're fightin' each other, and you_ will,_you're still a team. You all have strengths and weaknesses and I'm teachin ya the Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū. We take what works and dump the rest, got it?"

The girls nodded, this time decisively and Ranma smiled. "Then your first team buildin' exercise is simple: Her."

All eyes followed Ranma's pointing finger to the tree and the kunoichi leaning against it. Kyuubi-chan blinked cluelessly. "Kit...?"

"Do more than just react. Think, and remember, Anything Goes." Ranma advised. The demoness frowned as several almost feral smiles began to form on the girls' faces. Kyuubi took a step back and their instructor gave them the push they needed. "_Get her_."

The chase was on.

Five minutes later and deeper into range eight's forest, it was off again.

"Where is she?" Ino hissed as they cut through the forest in their high speed pursuit of one of the most destructive forces known to Konoha. Her blond ponytail whipped left to right as she scanned for her target to no avail. The trees around them were too dense, and all they had was a general direction... At least until Kyuubi's honeyed voice drifted through the air unseen.

"Such a marvelous game!" A girl's voice commented, and Team Thirteen scrambled to find its source. "She is quite creative, wouldn't you agree?"

"Where's that coming from?" TenTen turned fully around and slipped a score of kunai from her holster.

"Show yourself!" Ino stepped back further into their mutual ring of support.

"Catch me if you can, little ones!" The voice taunted. Hinata whipped around, but found nothing where she had expected to find an orange haired kunoichi shadow clone. The laughter grew more ominous. "Fail to entertain me and you will quickly find the tables turned."

TenTen's eyes widened at the implication and Hinata whimpered slightly. Ino's cheek twitched and she took command of their hunting party in sheer desperation. "'Nata-chan, eyes-up!"

The girl activated her Byakugan without hesitation and instantly found her target, spinning to line up with it on their right flank. "T-There!"

"I need specifics!" TenTen huffed, fanning a score of wooden kunai in her hand.

"Third tree out, thirty meters! S-Second branch!" Hinata pointed and her partner instantly salvoed the kunai. The branch seemed to waver slightly and suddenly the orange haired demon was in plain view where she hadn't stood before, jumping to another branch just as the limb was raked by blades.

"_Shintenshin no Jutsu!"_Ino yelled in an attempt to stop her flight. She could sense the girl's mind and reached out to grasp it, only to feel it slip through her mental grasp like oil without a clue as to why. "Dammit!"

"You will have to do better than that little mind monkey!" The demoness chortled, retreating to another tree.

"Get your ass back here!" The Yamanaka girl screeched and gave chase. TenTen and Hinata followed, but quickly encountered their partner in another clearing. "Where in the hell...?

"Follow m-me," Hinata hesitated, but stepped into the lead since she would be the only one able to keep track of their elusive target. "Moving away from us... Northeast. I- I think she's heading back toward the village interior."

"Anything within thirty meters I can nail," TenTen advised as the chase renewed, winding through various forest paths as they sought to gain visibility on their target.

"She's shifting right!" Hinata advised and suddenly changed her own direction of travel. "We can cut her off if we go this way! Hurry!"

The trio of girls veered off the forest path and wound around the trees, panting to make up distance. The Hyuuga heiress eyed the upper branches, then glanced back. "She'll come within forty five meters if she keeps coming this way! There!"

The weapon user amongst them slid to a halt and brandished a single practice kunai from her belt, flipped its counterweight around for the point and took a slow, deep breath. She sighted the seemingly unaware kitsune girl leaping from branch with her arm, then wound back and took the shot. Wood arced through the air on a two second flight time, leading her target precisely in order to intersect with Kyuubi-chan mid leap. It would have been TenTen's personal best in distance and accuracy if the kunoichi she had targeted wouldn't have twisted around in midair, grabbed the kunai point first and hurled it back at her in one smooth flip.

TenTen ate dirt as the practice kunai returned home, thunking against the tree behind her and incidentally representing a head shot if she had been any slower to dive. She looked at the wooden blade now lying beside her face in the grass. "That's... That's just not right."

"Neither will the ass kicking we give her when we catch up!" Ino fumed as she watched the girl bounce out of sight.

Special Team Thirteen scampered off together, leaving behind a tree-born martial artist smiling in their wake. The branch she knelt upon wobbled with a light impact and the redhead turned to find another smirking kunoichi wearing a light tan trench coat and body. The tree line completely obscured the genin from sight seconds later and Ranma chuckled. "Enjoyin' the show, Anko-chan?"

The spiky haired woman grinned down at her. "Seriously. Anybody who uses the goddamn nine tails as a training prop is a ninja _god_ in my book."

"I try not to disappoint." Ranma threw a cheeky grin, retrieving to the full height of her diminutive stature. "C'mon. Gotta make sure they don't tear the village apart."

The feral kunoichi's smile grew, her voice taking on a musing lilt. "Really too bad that body of yours isn't older."

Ranma leaped off the branch and the woman followed as she posed the question mid-flight. "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Because anybody with that much in the way of balls I'd have to screw silly." She replied jovially as they hit the next branch in line to follow the girls.

Crass humor was familiar ground for Ranma, and the redhead took the sexual innuendo in stride. "As a guy or girl?"

"Does it matter?"

Ranma almost missed the next branch.

* * *

"**W**ell, _of course_ the chuunin exams should be held here."

The Third Hokage of Konoha merely watched and listened noncommittally as a bald, middle-aged man responded to the question posed by a similarly aged man, this one marked by a notably gray goatee. The goateed council member seemed ready to object, but his balding counterpart pushed his point of view relentlessly. "If the prestige alone isn't enough, then the boost to the economy certainly should be."

"Seven villages stimulating local business is no small token," Another council member nodded from his  
position at the round table. "Without a doubt we should consider the bid."

"And allow a bunch of potential rivals the run of Konoha?" The goateed man was finally able to wedge his objection in. "Why not simply hand them a key to the Hokage's office. Maybe ANBU headquarters?"

"I'm sure ANBU can handle any situation that may arise." An older council man wrapped in bandages drawled with little concern.

"Like they handled the Mizuki and the nine-tails child?" Another gravelly voice countered, its owner sporting a wild gray mane of spiky hair and solid black eye patch across the left eye. Thoughtful murmuring began with the newly broached topic. "Like Councilman Aki, Forgive me if I air my reluctance to host this security nightmare in the making."

"Konoha's nin are the finest, Councilman Choya!" The balding man leaned forward with exaggerated indignation. "Your implication that the ANBU cannot handle a bunch of children is-"

"Councilman Santis. Nobody is suggesting that the ANBU are incompetent." Sarutobi held up a hand, interrupting the elder in a bid for restraint. A muffled 'hrrmf' was heard from the other end of the table but the Third chose to ignore the missive. "The concern is a valid one, as is the revenue generated by the chuunin presence."

"Perhaps limiting our mission roster for the exams." The heavily bandaged man to Sarutobi's right commented lethargically, not rising to the occasion of a debate.

"Assuming we can get the bid," A scarred member of their group broached with a slight scowl. "Speaking of the nine tails child."

"There would be less consternation amongst the other villages if we could demonstrate our ability to contain its vessel." The bandage wrapped man agreed, eyeing the Leaf's leader expectantly.

"The vessel as you put it, Shimura-san, is a thirteen year old child," Sarutobi's tone began to gain the slightest edge of impatience. "And Konoha will certainly not assuage another's fear by locking up a mere boy."

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Danzo Shimura inclined his head deferentially to concede the point.

"A valid supposition, nonetheless," The eye patched councilman sighed. "The stigma of thirteen years ago is seen as a curse upon our very people from those outside. Bidding against the villages, even Mist in its current state, will be an uphill battle."

"A curse am I, now?" Sarutobi stilled with the sudden female voice behind him. His quick scan of the council members looking toward him showed only wide eyes, none of them for his person. The Sandaime slowly turned around as the feeling of dread and power washed along his back, his gaze falling upon a woman. In spite of the last ANBU report, the female before him and the council was a woman, complete with triangular ears sprouting from a fiery orange mane and nine plush tails trailing out from the yellow on black kimono she wore.

A fanged smirk only confirmed her identity in Sarutobi's mind as she continued. "And here I thought I was bestowing a blessing upon the world... _By scraping this wretched village from the landscape it sits upon_."

"Hiruzen-sama, that cannot possibly be what I think it is..." Councilman Santis stuttered, rubbing his bald head that had suddenly become shiny with the thinnest sheen of sweat.

"Hokage-sama," Danzo murmured a warning, and Sarutobi produced a terse nod, stepping away from the table to interpose himself between the demon and the council. Even as he did so, the four ANBU guards outside the chamber entrance suddenly stormed in to take flanking positions around the woman. Kunai cleared their sheaths, but she paid them no attention. Her slitted eyes wandering those in assemblage instead.

"You must realize that even a genin could dispatch you in that form," The Third regarded the demoness calmly, taking a lazy draw from his kiseru. "I assume you have a pressing reason to risk imminent disincorporation?"

"Funny you should mention that," The kitsune seemed to ignore the older man's overt threat and began to stroll the chamber. "Perhaps I do have a pressing matter that requires your _personal _attention."

Sarutobi's eyebrow rose with her plainly suggestive tone of voice. A couple of council members couldn't help but to take a glance at him before returning to the shapely woman. The elder coughed. "And that is?"

"My freedom, you wretched chakra parasites!" Kyuubi's demeanor suddenly shifted to aggravation, dispelling any pleasant fantasies one or two of those present may have had concerning the demoness. The ANBU on her flanks tensed. "Do you arrogant chimps think you can simply breach eons worth of summoning etiquette so that I may simply dance like a stringed puppet without consequence?"

"You attacked us!" Councilman Aki leaned forward, thumping the table with his fist and transmitting enough force to cause his tea cup to jump with a clink. "How dare you! Guards-!"

Sarutobi held up a retraining hand and the ANBU paused, his curiosity piqued. The kitsune's tails whipped ferociously as a glare of death swept across each and every one of them. She continued in a hiss even as two more presences entered the doorway.

"The first grand monkey amongst you shattered The One... For this I can be grateful. But to be imprisoned for millennia? To be forced into servitude without pact or compensation? To be traded amongst your kin like a bauble?" The woman was very nearly growling now, pacing the chamber in agitation. "And the final insult, to be beguiled by your wretched eyeball clans and have my very will stripped from me? And you wonder why I wish to burn this village to the ground and spread its ash to the-!"

She paused and Sarutobi glanced around Kyuubi to reveal one woman and one thirteen year old girl standing in the chamber entrance. The spiky haired woman had an expression of realized dread. The girl's face hung limp in disbelief.

"Glad you could join us, Anko-san. Saotome-san." The Third stated evenly and took another puff from his ever present pipe. It was so flatly delivered that both female nin couldn't help but feel a cold impending doom develop in the pit of their stomach. "The council was just granting Kyuubi an audience."

"I... Ah... That is to say, Hokage-sama," Anko stumbled weakly as the assemblage scrutinized the pair like bugs. Ranma's sigh interrupted her.

"I got this one," The redhead murmured and stepped forward to place herself in the line of fire. "Uh, my bad guys. Not her fault. Didn't think Fox-chan would be makin' a personal visit."

"Was there anything _else_ you didn't think of?" Danzo frowned, communicating his disapproval of his situation clearly. "This seems to be the beginning of a disturbing trend."

"Yeah, it does, don't it?" Ranma's gaze turned glacial as she returned Danzo's stare. Danzo's own turned to curiosity after her blue eyes began to probe Sarutobi, who began to wonder himself. It faded to nonchalance after a moment, causing the Third to frown at whatever was going through her mind. "Look, don't mind us. We'll just escort her out, no harm no foul."

The martial artist began to walk up to Kyuubi, who was having none of it in spite of the assurances. "I'm not _done_yet. Still they fail to understand the consequences..."

"Deal's changed." Ranma stated lowly, causing her to stop mid-sentence with a wondering stare. It was the redhead's sympathetic tone more than anything that put a damper on the demon's fury. "Let's go before I gotta change it any further."

Something had changed for the kit; something intriguing and unknowable... And_ grave_. It was also something she would humor her over for the moment. "Very well. We leave."

Even Sarutobi arched an eyebrow at how effectively the child had disengaged the demon, and watched as Ranma threw a careless wave back to the council with Kyuubi's acquiescence. "Sorry about that guys. Didn't-"

_Thunk._

The sound clattered two more times and Ranma tracked it to its source. A wooden practice kunai tumbled to a stop at her feet, its tag burning down. The tag's symbol all but assured her that its payload was smoke, but the Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū heir would have time for only a single thought as it flickered to life.

"Aw, _crap_."

* * *

"**I**-I lost her," Hinata stated almost evenly as the trio of girls scanned the winding horizon of Konoha. Hinata didn't even bother looking as she sorted through almost three hundred and sixty degrees of sight. "Last time I caught her on the edge of the Byakugan she was heading in that direction."

TenTen frowned, because there was _a lot_'in that direction' to be seen. The bun-haired girl flipped a wooden kunai between her fingers with nervous energy. "That's a lot of ground to cover."

"And I don't want to become psycho sister bait," Ino huffed, staring out into the same expanse of Konoha. She glanced back to the Hyuga heir. "No way you can get more range out of that?"

The girl shook her head and released the Byakugan. Hinata thought on the matter and posed her own counter question to the two girls' own surprise. "W-What about your technique, Ino-chan?"

"I can only control what I see," Ino explained impatiently. "A straight line is best."

"Not control," Hinata elaborated before the blonde's impatience rendered her tentative theory mere conversation. "Can you... um, is it possible for you to...?"

TenTen blinked as she caught the drift of her shyer counterpart's question. "I think she's asking if you can _sense _anything using that technique?"

Hinata nodded and the Yamanaka opened her mouth, ready to refute the answer when the actual thought caught up to her. She chewed on her lip indecisively. "I- I don't know."

"Can you at least _try_?" TenTen urged, almost desperately. "I don't want to become psycho sister bait either."

"But I don't know-" her missive was cut off by the pleading look in both of her team members eyes. _Probably _both her team members eyes. She was still having trouble reading Hinata's opaque iris, but she was relatively sure they were pleading to her as well. "Alright. I have no idea what I'm doing though."

Both girls nodded hope fully and Ino thrust her hands out, her fingers joined to form the initial focal pattern drilled into her by her father during the Shintenshin no Jutsu exercises. Instead of releasing her chakra in one forward thrust to defeat a foreign mind, she closed her eyes and concentrated.

_An oily mind,_ she decided, focusing on her target. She didn't have to control it. She didn't have to confuse it. She just had to_ find _it. Ino reflexively built her chakra internally as a part of the exercise, but realistically had no idea what to do with it. She couldn't target anything. _Useless_, she decided. She couldn't feel anything, she couldn't do anything with the chakra and she certainly wasn't finding anything, so Ino did the only thing she could do - Release the chakra and give up.

Chakra released.

She couldn't open her eyes.

Suddenly she blew up, expanding outward on lazy shock waves that rolled over a village of shadows. Her conscious wave front broke over luminous shards of light, and it was only the meager training she held that told her these were more than likely minds. The disembodied blond tried to pluck at the nearest one, but it had already rolled beyond her metaphysical grasp as her conscious rode the uncontrollable tide. The horizon was filled with the crystals and she could only watch.

_So beautiful..._

Then it all began to fall apart. Her wave lost power and disintegrated. She continued to expand. Birds. Animals. People. But the shadow world was all breaking up and she could no longer maintain her focus. Her wave lost its momentum and began to collapse, breaking apart around her and sending her falling into the abyss. The brilliant minds began to falter and-

_There!_

Even as her very being fell apart on the metaphysical surf, something new came into grasp. For as light as the souls around her were, this one shined _black_. She tried to hold the wave together for another precious second in order to soak in the detail of the shadows around the black mind and something else and-

Ino blinked and the harsh glare of sunlight razed her pupils before they finally adjusted to blue skies, clouds, and two very worried looking team mates staring down at her.

"I-Ino-chan?"  
"You in there Ino-chan?"

It took another full minute of blinking before the girl was able to form a coherent thought while her conscious mind fully reseated itself. "I-I think so."

"We were about to summon a medic," TenTen frowned, offering the girl a hand. Ino took it and was pulled to her unsteady feet, where upon Hinata supported her.

"How long?" The blond girl queried weakly, trying to juggle the tasks of steadying herself and digesting the last thirty seconds worth of experience.

"Ten minutes," Their resident weapons expert answered, causing Ino's head to whip around towards her in confirmation. Seeing no humor forth coming, she turned back to Hinata closer by, who only confirmed the fact with a solemn nod.

The Yamanaka took another moment to absorb her experiences then fully disengaged herself from Hinata, looking back around the Konoha skyline in the direction Hinata had previously indicated while trying to explain her experience. "I saw them. Nothing I could get a solid grasp on but I saw them... And Ranma's sister I think."

"Them?" TenTen pressed, and Ino looked back. Her eyes held a slight measure of fear.

"_Everybody._" She whispered relevantly and elaborated slowly. "Columns of crystal light. I molded the chakra like I would the Shintenshin no jutsu, but I didn't have a target. I compressed it and let it go when I should have just taken it back in... I think. I think saw everybody all the way out to the monument."

Hinata glanced to the monument which was beyond her Byakugan vision on a good day. Neji could see out that far, she was certain. Regardless of her personal best, there was the other task at hand. "Did you-you find her?"

Ino blinked as she pulled away from the memory. "I think so. I don't know why, but if she's the one I think she is, she looks completely different from everybody else."

It was a sentiment Hinata nodded with since she could clearly see the makeup of the shadow clone with the Byakugan active. It wasn't something she was about to elaborate on as it had been made crystal clear that she wasn't to discuss the nature of Ranma's sister. "Where?"

"Next to the Hokage's tower," Ino took a step over to the ledge and her legs wobbled, nearly giving way. Hinata was back to support her almost instantaneously. "Whoo, took a lot out of me."

"We'll take it slow." TenTen nodded as Hinata pulled her away from the edge and angled for the fire escape. "If she's over there, we can use Hinata's eyes for the rest."

Hinata nodded and they were down at street level minutes later, taking it slow; So slow that Hinata paused at a vendor to get the blond a cup of juice, which the girl slurped down eagerly. Noticing the pink hue on the Hyuga heir's cheeks, Ino couldn't help but to express her gratitude.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Noth-Nothing," The girl responded avoiding her gaze.

"Nothing? Come on, I'll pay back." Ino pressed and Hinata looked away in shyness.

"Nothing." She insisted. "I- I didn't pay anything."

TenTen stared at the girl, then back at the vendor with realization. A smile crept across her face and Ino all but choked on her juice laughing. "Another one bites the dust!"

Hinata's shy smile persisted and the girls continued along down through Konoha's various districts, their pace improving as the blond of their team began to recover her stamina. One hundred meters from their destination was well within Hinata's abilities and she activated the Byakugan, feeding chakra into her eyes in order to scan for their target.

"I have her," The shy genin stated softly. "Upper floor, surrounded by people. One entry along the east wall via a staircase inside. Five are armed. Saotome-sensei appears to be accompanying her?"

"You can tell all of that?" Ino arched an eyebrow, receiving a nod in response. The Yamanaka muttered something about improving her technique while TenTen considered the development herself.

"That's got to be our goal then," She drew a tagged kunai. Both girls noticed it, tracking the wooden practice blade in her grip. She noted the speculative looks and smiled sweetly. "My mom won't notice one or two smoke tags missing from the armory."

Both girls nodded, accepting the explanation without question or desire to question. TenTen flipped the kunai in hand.

"I say we hit the east entrance with smoke and crash their little party." The bun haired kunoichi in training smiled. Hinata smiled with surprising anticipation reflecting in her face, as did Ino. The trio circled around the building and slipped into a side door quietly with Hinata on point.

"No guards." She stated as she led the three through the office, dodging the presence of the occasional secretary here and there. "Everybody else is in the upper chamber."

"Knowing Sensei-chan, she's probably got an ambush planned up there." Ino speculated grimly as they took to a long spiral staircase up to the second floor. "Her sister, I'm having problems with, but I can buy you at least a couple of seconds with the Shintenshin on Sensei herself." She took a deep breath as they approached the vacant archway entrance, edging against the wall. "I've only got one left in me after the rooftop, so make it count."

"Got it," TenTen nodded and opened up her holster for quick reloads. ""I'll cover. 'Nata-chan, you can see through the smoke, right?" A brisk, surprisingly business like nod was her response. "When the tag pops, drop that little psychopath."

Hinata's serious demeanor faded to a questioning look. "Which one?"

"The sister." TenTen elaborated and Hinata's determined expression returned. The bun haired girl fingered the tagged kunai in her right hand and edged as close to the doorway as she dared, ignoring the pitched conversation therein. She glanced back to her team in waiting, holding up her free hand and three fingers. They began dropping sequentially.

_Three  
Two._  
_One._

TenTen leaned in and tossed the wooden kunai. It clattered across the fine tile floor as she renewed a new count. Two. One.

_**Thud!**_

"Dynamic Entry! _Go!"_ She yelled, swinging fully into the doorway even as Hinata rushed into the concussive cloud. Ino barely caught sight of their instructor's red crop of hair through the billowing smoke, but it was enough of a reference, and she stepped into her technique's initial stance.

_"Shintenshin no Jutsu!" _

Chakra raced out and slammed into Ranma, causing her to stiffen instantly. _Connection._Ino was already at the edge of her indurance and her target was already fighting back. There was no way the Yamanaka would be able to hold their instructor, but that wasn't the point. The edge of a savage grin found her face as TenTen hurled her first round of kunai into the shadowy targets embedded within the smoke.

Hinata blazed through the smoke as if it weren't even there, fully cognizant of where her targets were and what they were doing. She considered immobilizing her Sensei first, but watched Ranma's chakra suddenly jump around; her body stiffening simultaneously. Hinata noted the reaction and discarded the potential target as neutralized, flowing around her to engage the sister directly. The back of her mind noted that there would only be one outcome to her attack, but put the worry aside. Her target was only a shadow clone, after all, and maybe sensei's sister would finally be forced to come out of hiding for once.

As predicted, the initial strike of the juuken was all it took. The knife point of her finger flowed down and under her targets ribcage, stabbing upward sharply. The shadow clone's chakra matrix unraveled instantly, confirmed by a dull pop as she slid to a halt in the place where it had once stood. Mission accom-

"What the hell?"  
"Ow!"  
"Oof! That hurt!"

_"Kaze Houshutsu!"_

Team Thirteen's smoke cover was suddenly blow away by a wind jutsu and their triumphant victory first melted into confusion, then utter despair as they realized just whose party they had crashed. As expected, there was their instructor staring at them with bug eyes. Her sister was nowhere to be found, presumably dispatched by Hinata herself given the evidence of her striking pose, but nearby her was the Third Hokage of Konoha, holding a wooden practice kunai by the tip with a fairly unamused expression.

It only got worse from there.

Behind him were several official looking gentleman wearing variously decorated hakama. At least three were nursing the knots on their foreheads courtesy of TenTen's head shots. A couple others were rubbing sore spots along their chest. The only man apparently not beaned by a wooden stake was the one wrapped in bandages, providing some minuscule salve for TenTen's conscience that she hadn't 'dispatched' a crippled old man. More than a few were staring at the girls furiously, while a balding official finally exploded in rage. "What in the ten hells is the meaning of this?"

Like the rest of the council, Sarutobi's hardened gaze drift to the redhead who was now rubbing the bridge of her nose in silent frustration. "Well Saotome-san? What _is _the meaning of this?"

"Eh," Ranma hedged, playing with her pigtail nervously while looking from one pale girl to the next before opting to simply shrug. "Mission accomplished?"

"My office." The answer apparently failed to satisfy the old man. _"Now._"

* * *

**K**urenai Yuhi waited. She waited patiently. Shino Aburame waited patiently as well, sitting on a stone in an anonymous forest clearing somewhere on practice range two. The cloaked genin seemed patient enough in and of himself, though the bugs around him buzzed around him in a somewhat impatient manner; as opposed to the generally lethargic and unobtrusive patterns they normally traced through the open air. The bugs could largely be ignored. The white pup whining at Kiba Inuzuka's feet could not.

It was clearly bored, and the canine only mirrored its owner's mood with another whimper. Kiba stripped a soft branch from the tree he was leaning against and broke it in half, then snapped the twig again, growling. "I say we start without her."

"We will wait." Kurenai's tone was the complete opposite of her student's, who continued to press the issue.

"Akamaru is bored." He continued to balk. "I'm bored. Even Shino's _bugs _are bored!"

The bug user glanced at him, raising a single eyebrow from behind his black sunglasses before conceding the point. "They are agitated."

Kurenai suppressed the sigh and responded in the same tone of voice as before. "We will wait."

In truth, the red eyed nin was worried. Just a little bit. The third- or fourth member of their team, depending on who she spoke to -was punctual to a fault. Adding to that sliver of concern was the fact that Team Thirteen was the girl's previous engagement and the antics usually associated with _that_particular instructor.

A sharp bark jarred her from her thoughts and she cocked her head at the white pup's antics, then down the vector it was barking at. The source of his excitement was unseen, but the little dog hopped around excitedly and Kiba snorted. "About damn time."

Fifteen seconds after uttering the complaint, Hinata's figure was visibly rounding the tree line into their clearing. Relief echoed through the pale jounin's psyche, at least until she could witness the girls' slumped shoulders and depressed attitude. Akamaru was off like a shot across the remaining portion Hinata had yet to cover and began to bounce around her until it too picked up on her attitude. The dog whimpered sympathetically, head butting the girls leg, then continued to accompany her back to the rest of her team.

"Hinata-chan?"

"S-Sensei." She bowed formally once she was finally near Kurenai, sending a cold wave of anticipation through the Team Eight instructor. Hinata proffered a small scroll from her bow as her team watched. "I am required to deliver this to you by the Third Hokage of Konoha."

Those red eyes blinked in shock and Kurenai took the scroll with all the care she would in handling a poisonous snake. The jounin breached the red wax seal and unfurled the scroll and began to read. After thirty seconds, her cheek began to twitch. A full minute in and her fingers began to forcefully crinkle the edges of the parchment. At one minute, thirty seconds, the twitch had taken up permanent residence on her cheek, so much so that even Shino couldn't help being concerned with the wave of killer intent boiling away from their instructor. Akamaru whimpered and hid behind his master's legs. Kiba in turn, stumbled back a step as their instructor began bearing her teeth. A single word was ground up and reconstituted before it left her mouth.

"S-_Saotome!"_

Across Konoha on a similar practice range, Asuma Sarutobi simply arched a skeptical eyebrow with each bullet he read from the scroll, taking a puff from his ever present cigarette in turn. The puffs were getting longer and longer and by the time the last occurred, he had inhaled the paper stem for a full five seconds, reducing its column fully to ash and nearly burning his fingers. The Team Ten jounin noticed the slight burning between his fingers and blinked, flicking the ashen remains from his digits as Choji Akimichi and Shikamaru Nara cast speculative glances between his person and Ino.

Ino Yamanaka had eyes for only the ground and her feet, emulating her Hyuga sister in arms to a surprising degree by not uttering a word. Choji's bag of chips crinkled as he continued to spectate, watching as Asuma finally removed his study from the scroll and fixing it upon the blond herself.

"You... did all of this?"

The girl didn't even bother to look up, but nodded regardless. The nin pulled another smoke from his belt, shaking his head. One of his own students frequent sayings came to mind.

"Troublesome."

...Nor were he and Kurenai the only ones contemplating the troublesome nature of their cute genin. Unlike his contemporaries, Gai Maito simply nodded with each piece of damning evidence directed at his pupil. He glance up from the scroll delivered by TenTen. "TenTen-chan, is this true?"

"Sensei?" The weapons specialist tried to ignore the sucking chasm of doom in her stomach.

"That you carried out an assault on the council chambers?" Gai elaborated, causing Neji's head to snap up as his boredom suddenly vanished. Lee's mouth dropped into a silent 'oh' as their teammate confirmed the charge.

"Y-Yes Sensei." She stuttered, her eyes dropping to her feet.

"That you used a smoke tag and practice kunai _on_ the council members themselves?" Their jounin instructor pressed, earning a smaller nod from the girl. Neji and Lee stared at the girl and her atypical behavior with bug eyes.

"Yes sensei."

Gai nodded solemnly and continued down the list. "That you, in fact, participated in this assault in order to dispatch a target in the very presence of the Hokage, putting him at risk?"

Neji all but choked, making TenTen's next embarrassed confirmation barely audible. "Yes, Sensei."

"Hold out your hand, TenTen-chan. It is time for you to receive you punishment." Gai ordered in a grave voice, and the girl could only wonder what punishment was about to befall her. He would probably triple her weights._ On top _of what Satome sensei already made her wear. Make her run around in one of those horrid green jump suits. Train until she died. The torturous possibilities were-

"Bad TenTen." Gai Maito batted her hand lightly, then turned to the other two gaping genin. "Now let's all strive to match the flaming pillar of her youthful example!"

TenTen nearly passed out on the spot.

There were two people who didn't receive a scroll however, and they stood before a seemingly calm Hokage who was refilling his pipe, tapping metered doses of tobacco into its curved end. Both the redhead and taller jounin females waited with trepidation as the Third Hokage of Konoha finished the task, setting the tobacco alight with the snap of his fingers. He took a long, purposeful drag from it much like his son, who was dealing with a very similar problem across the village at that very same moment.

After another thoughtful puff, he eyed the redhead speculatively. "You have put me in a very difficult situation, Saotome-san."

For the moment the woman next to her was forgotten and Ranma simply nodded without excuse. "Yeah, figured that."

"You maintain a unique position within the village," Sarutobi exhaled a lazy cloud of carcinogenic smoke into the air thoughtfully. "I consider you a ninja of Konoha, but you do not have citizenship. You are training the genin of Konoha but do not have a clan of your own. At best you occupy the status of what can be termed as special advisor."

Ranma nodded her understanding and the Sandaime continued. "Your status in our ranks is a precarious one, at best. That which is inside you only makes it more so and already makes certain parties uncomfortable. I believe Kurenai has already advised you that your continued high visibility only aggravates that aspect."

"And I just stepped in it." Ranma finished blandly, while the Hokage nodded again.

"_Big time_." The gray haired elder returned matter-of-factly. "To be blunt, some of the council, as well as a handful of team leaders, were already calling for your head concerned your training methods. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a concern, except for your rather special status."

"Yeah, yeah," Ranma stated tiredly, her spirits dropping. "What's the damage?"

"There will be a special inquest." Sarutobi outlined. "The facts will be examined and more than likely a suitable reprimand determined. I highly suggest you are there when the summons is issued. Mitarashi-san."

The snake nin, for all her casual manner displayed out in the field, snapped to immediate attention in the elder's presence. "Your complicity will be scrutinized as well, no doubt. While I doubt the hammer will fall as hard on you, you'll undoubtedly have your own _challenges_to overcome.

"I understand, Hokage-sama."

"Very well." The Professor finished, clicking the ash out of his pipe into a nearby tray and signaling the end of their meeting. "Expect the summons within the week. Dismissed."

* * *

**T**he world was overturned as a single knife point finger found its way into ribs of the Kyuubi avatar, terminally destabilizing the shadow clone's chakra matrix. The last thing the kitsune woman saw before everything blanked out was the determined gaze of Hinata Hyuga as she stabbed.

Chakra flared and her conscious tumbled end over end until it found its level. Several moments of vertigo later, the nine tailed fox woman opened her eyes to find herself once again behind the bars of Naruto's astral prison. It took her a moment to actually recognize her home, as it had apparently been redecorated since her last slumber within the boy. It was still as dark and dreary as ever, but a new theme had been etched into the very stone anywhere a flat surface could be obtained. The rock. The walls. The seal room floor.

_Spirals._

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven..." Kyuubi's slitted gaze turned to the sound and immediately found its source. Actually, the source was impossible to miss with its bright orange theme and blond hair, causing a derisive laugh.

"Indeed, little whelp. Could I not come home to perhaps better decor than these stick spun spirals?"

"...eight, nine, what? Whaaa!" Naruto Uzumaki turned too much attention to the unexpected voice and not enough to his foot work, tumbling face first into the spiral etched at his feet. The fox woman chuckled as the boy groaned, peeling his face from the stone floor.

"A welcome home if ever there was," The flame haired female chortled as Naruto scrambled up.

"You again!" He blurted, pointing at her person even as she favored him with a dull look.

"Again with the 'you'." Kyuubi all but sighed. "This lack of a specific address is becoming quite tedious."

"How did you get back to me so fast!" Naruto pressed, ignoring the demon's rebuke. "We're at least seven days from Konoha!"

The Kyuubi stared at him, then shook her head with a obnoxiously sad look. "I simply do not see what the changeling sees in you, dim witted pup."

"I'm not a pup!" The blond objected forcefully, causing the kitsune to roll her eyes.

"The shadow clone you spawned is a chakra construct," She explained wearily, though it took considerable willpower not to tease the boy further. "When broken up, the residual chakra finds its origin almost instantaneously. Hence, I am here whether you are seven days or seventy days away from the monkey village."

"Oh." Naruto's ire deflated. He turned a curious look on her. "Who broke you up?"

Now Kyuubi sighed openly. "The diseased eyeball girl."

It took the genin to decode the kitsune's descriptive. "Hinata-chan?"

"Her name is unimportant." Kyuubi dismissed the question. Her lips gained a pernicious smile a few moments later. "She pines for you, kit."

"Pines for me?" Naruto blinked without comprehension.

"I am certain she would not be adverse to be taken by you, even at such a tender age," Kyuubi pressed slyly, then found herself frowning at the complete lack of understanding plastered across his face.

"Pining? Taken?" The genin squinted at her. "Taken by pines? Oi, she musta hit you pretty hard, fox. You're making even less sense than you usually-"

"DEPART THIS SEAL FOR THE WAKING WORLD BEFORE I SKEWER YOUR SOUL ON ONE OF MY TAILS!" The woman suddenly boiled red, exploding into the form of a ravenous multi-story fox. Massive jaws snapped at him from the bars and Naruto 'eeped' scurrying for the shadows and the pinprick of light beyond. A roar bellowed behind him and Naruto hastened his exit, running for the light even as it spoke to him.

_"Excuse me...?" _The light consumed Naruto Uzumaki and the voice drifted around him again, calling him to the waking world. _"Are you okay?"_

Naruto's eyes fluttered open to the face of a girl surrounded by a halo of sunlight and treetops. He blinked again as his waking mind fought to push the lethargic cloud aside. As such, his response was little more than an unintelligible "hnn?"

"You'll catch cold sleeping in a place like this," Her gentle voice advised with a smile. Naruto blinked and slowly propped himself up, looking at the long haired girl. He smiled back.

"I've slept in worse conditions." The genin preened, looking to impress the cute, older girl with his hardiness.

"Oh?" She cocked her head curiously, retrieving the basket she had sat down next to him. The shadow that crossed Naruto's face didn't go quite unnoticed and she pressed the question gently. "When was that?"

"Back when I was kit- boy. Whatever." Naruto bit, irritated at his own stumbling and where it was born from. The smile returned almost instantaneously, however. "This is the first time in a while, though."

"Myself as well," The girl murmured, still favoring the boy with a smile. Naruto missed the subtle implication; his eyes having wandered to the girl's basket.

"What are you collecting?"

"Oh this?" She took the basket, retrieving to her full height that was ironically several centimeters better than the blond himself. Her pastel colored yukata matched her sunny disposition, and she happily tilted it so that he could see the contents. "I'm collecting medicinal herbs."

Naruto peered inside the basket of leafy greens curiously, then struck upon an idea. "I'll help!"

The forest girl seemed to consider the idea for a moment then smiled with a nod, accepting his offer graciously. The next half hour was spent scouring the forest floor for the herbs, and where the girl calmly and meticulous searched, the blond was all over the place; scouting the most unlikely nooks and crannies before finally joining her at a patch she was plucking. She favored him with another smile. "Thanks for helping out."

"No problem!" Naruto grinned back then plucked another one of the leafy plants from the soil to be inspected. "This plant is..?" His voice trailed off and the plant in hand was momentarily forgotten as he fixed the girl with a curious stare, studying her features intently. The girl stared back and began to wonder what he had found when he pointed a finger. "You're a boy!"

The accused boy blinked then smiled. "You're absolutely right. How observant of you."

Naruto scrutinized the cross dressing boy and his expertly applied makeup for another moment before dismissing the gender anomaly and grinning widely. "Of course I am! I'm a super observant ninja!"

"A ninja?" The boy smiled gently back as if surprised, taking the leafy plant held between Naruto's fingers gently for himself. "I hope it won't cause a problem."

"Of course not!" The genin effused jovially, scratching his head. "Besides, I have a friend just like you!"

The boy-girl paused, staring curiously. "You do?"

"Yep!" Naruto rocked to his feet, full of energy now. "In fact, thanks to him, I can do something ultra cool! Want to see?"

The boy tried to connect the dots between his gender, his friend's gender and the ultra cool technique, but ultimately failed to do so. Bereft of options, he nodded.

"Alright!" The genin took a ready stance, clasping his hands together. The boy rose to his full height and backed away as power began to gather around them in the clearing. Within seconds it was a roiling crimson manifestation that seemed completely at odds with the boy's cheerful demeanor. He took another step back as the very ground he stood upon began to brown, then blacken with angry, biting chakra.

Haku's facade failed in that moment as very real fear began to surface. _What... What is this evil feeling?_

Naruto Uzumaki had only one answer to give.

_"MINAKO NO JUTSU!"_

* * *

"**A**nd Yuhi-san, were you witness to Saotome-san's unusual training methods?"  
"Please define 'unusual', Agomo-sama."  
"Unusual. As in using the nine tail avatar to chase and terrify his genin."

The Jounin paused and cast an emotionless glance back at Ranma. The void in itself said all there needed to be said and he shrugged his acceptance back at her as his own pardon for her testimony. She would have answered truthfully regardless, but it helped knowing the boy wouldn't hold it against her.

"Well, Instructor Yuhi?"

"I was witness to such events." She responded to the councilman's question with the same lack of emotion as she had answered the previous questions.

The bearded councilman sat up from his place at the round table, turning back to his contemporaries and the audience in attendance. He stretched his arms dramatically, as if to encompass the entire village. "How wise can it possibly be to use the Kyuubi Nine Tails, the very force that devastated this very village, _as a sparring exercise_?"

"Unfit for such a position I would say," The bald headed Santis commented off hand, taking a sip of tea.

"In his defense, the children were never harmed." Kurenai added, inciting the councilman to sarcasm.

"Well that just makes exposing them to an S-Class state secret okay then, doesn't it?" He retorted, only to have his remark punctuated by a light cough. His study turned back to Ranma. "Something to say, now?"

"Actually, your guy just did that." The pigtailed boy added casually, motioning to the genin in attendance off to the side. "Agomo-san there was the first ta mention it."

The spoken councilman suddenly began gibbering denials, to which Sarutobi held up a hand to silence the murmuring of those present. He turned to the three genin girls in waiting along the wall with their team leads with the question for himself. "Is this true, Hyuuga-chan? Yamanaka-chan? TenTen-chan?"

All three nodded and the Third turned a frown back toward the councilman. "We will be having words after the meeting Agomo-san." The man gulped, and the village leader turned back to Special Team Thirteen. "It now goes without saying you are now privy to one of Konoha's darkest secrets. It is not for gossip or story. Engage in such with anybody outside this room upon pain of death, do you understand?"

All three girls now had wide eyes, but nodded. Sarutobi took a puff from his kiseru and returned to his seat. "The council may continue... _With care_."

"There is also the matter of his aid in the nine-tails escape from its vessel," Danzo added patiently, but was instantly corrected by the boy.

"His name's _Naruto,_" Ranma insisted, challenging the man.

"Which doesn't change the fact that you assisted one of the most devastating forces Konoha has ever know in its escape." The all but mummified man continued calmly. "Any particular reason why you would do such a thing?"

"Simple." The martial artist shrugged. "Gave him my word."

"Your word, Saotome-san?" A goateed council member pressed from the back of the round table.

"Ta protect him." Ranma stated simply.

"And apparently by _'protect' _you must mean _'destroy the village and everybody therein'_," Santis laughed with hearty sarcasm, turning to the other council members with a crooked smile. "Perhaps we should simply dispense with the ANBU entirely and hand all of our security matters to young Saotome from now on?"

"Perhaps you should." All eyes followed the advisement to a wall of muscle contained within a green spandex jumpsuit. "Might I remind the council that in spite of the security currently stationed to protect you that a team of genin literally fresh out of the academy and under Saotome-san's teaching were able to penetrate your chambers, dispatch their primary target and many of yourselves, even if by accident?"

An appreciative smile grew across Ranma's face and he nodded subtly back to Gai for the assistance. His statement prompted low conversation back and forth amongst the council members with one of them even outright sighing.

"And is it any _wonder _I find Konoha hosting seven other ninja villages troubling?" Aki stroked his goatee in consternation, taking the opportunity to revisit the matter. He rubbed a still tender spot along his chest. "All it took was three genin to give me this bruise and you want to flood us with potentially hostile chuunin or better?"

"The revenue will-"

"The revenue my ass!" The one eyed councilman stood up this time, thumping the table. "I might as well give them the keys to my underpants at this rate!"

"Gentleman." Sarutobi's calm voice seemed to cut through the argument with ease even as the round of chuckling incited by the previous comment subsided. "Please let us focus on Saotome-san's conduct."

The Saotome-san in question was more than happy to watch the councilman get side tracked, and frowned as their attention was redirected once more directed back upon his person. The bald man started in once again with the melodrama. "While I will happily acknowledge that security is, of course, a pressing matter, it is becoming increasingly obvious that Special Team Thirteen's leader is a loose cannon. Security aside, who in their infinite wisdom directs an attack on the central council chambers?"

"Not the brightest of moves," The comment came from the back of the table; the reminders of the attack and subsequent pain well in mind now.

"Saotome-san did not direct the girls to attack the central chambers," A new voice joined in as people looked to see who spoke. Anko took position alongside Ranma.

"And we should trust the word of a known-"

"Her orders came directly from myself," Sarutobi cut in, silencing the objection. He returned to Anko Mitarashi. "And those orders were..?"

"To observe and report, Hokage-sama." The Tokubetsu Jounin detailed. "Also to eliminate any threat either the nine tails avatar or Saotome himself may have posed, using lethal force as necessary."

"Nice to know you care." Ranma smirked out the side of his mouth.

"Shut it, pipsqueak." Anko retorted beneath her breath.

"Ahem," The Hokage interrupted their banter and pressed his questioning. "Did any of those conditions become necessary to enforce?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," The spikey haired jounin nodded, all business once again. "Once the nine tails avatar came within close proximity to you and the council."

"And Saotome-san's role in this?"

"Fully willing to support my operations to dispatch the nine tails." Anko maintained steadily.

"Then why didn't you?" Councilman Santis asked pointedly. Anko was about to answer for herself, only to be interrupted by Gai's counter question.

"Yes, why hadn't the avatar been dispatched by the ANBU already present?" The team six jounin asked, eyeing the councilman who was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Your bias is becoming quite transparent, Maito-san." A new voice intervened, clearly bored by its very tone. The green clad nin turned to face Hiashi Hyuuga with a frown as he continued. "Even I can't help but to call into question his clearly reckless nature and poor judgment even if his skills as an instructor are magically set aside for the purposes of argument."

Gai's mouth opened to reply, but it was instead overridden by Ranma, who favored the Hyuuga clan head with his own cool gaze. "Yeah, this comin' from the pinnacle of good judgment, right?"

Any side chatter in the council chambers suddenly ground into silence.

"Did you have anything specific in mind, Saotome-san?" Hiashi's tone grew cold and measured. "By all means, continue to display your rampant ignorance."

"Saotome," The Hokage's tone was warning enough, but the pigtail boy discarded it completely.

"Look, I'm probably goin' down in flames anyway, but I'll be damned if somebody blind ta talent lectures me on it." Ranma held Hiashi's pupiless gaze without flinching.

"Such hubris to claim one's own talent." The clan head almost laughed. "Unproven, untested, un-"

"I was actually talkin' about your daughter, ya pompous jackass." Ranma snorted, jabbing a thumb back over his shoulder. "How good of a judge could ya possibly be if you missed her?"

"Hinata is unsuitable for-"

"I would strongly disagree." Kurenai stated clearly and in open defiance of the clan head, fixing him with a dangerous gaze. "Unless you would like to question _my _competence as an instructor?"

Hiashi stared at the woman for a moment as he contemplated the new front against the child and decided not to engage it. The council chambers were neither the time nor place for reckless arguments with people perceived to be his peers. His attention flicked back to Ranma, who was _not _a peer. "Sadly, I am not the one being reviewed in these proceedings."

"But you're apparently the goddamn gold standard here," Ranma fired from the hip, leaning fully into his verbal offensive that was being constructed on the fly. "If my judgment's gonna be compared to you of all people, then I gotta be wonderin' how you're still a ninja."

"My daughter is not open to discuss-"

"Then how about ol' Neji?" Ranma cut him off as everything that pissed him off about the man surfaced, while the council watched what was quite possibly a once in a lifetime event. "Good thing ya took him under your wing and- Oh, that's right. Ya didn't even do that. Self taught, from what I hear."

"You have no right to question the internal workings of Clan Hyuuga," Hiashi responded frostily.

"Then what are ya doin' here?" The martial artist all but laughed. "Do as I say, not as I do? Think I'm an easy target with no clan and all?"

"Are you honestly going to compare yourself to room full of Jounin?" The clan head arched his eyebrow while his tone was filled with undistilled skepticism. He motioned to the nin assembled around him. "Half those here are veterans of the Third Shinobi War. Are you going to actually insist that you're better than them?"

"Nah," Ranma sniffed with arrogant amusement. "Just better than you is fine."

"Sadly, you have no way to substantiate your claims," Hiashi returned as if the conversation were now tediously boring. "No clan. No certification. No village. The place you say you come from does not even exist. In fact, you bring little more to the Leaf than impudence and disrespect, and expect us to accommodate it as if you have all of the former."

A knowing grin began to slide along Ranma's face. It wasn't completely obvious, but goading opponents into reckless acts was his bread and butter too. The stuck up prick before him simply used the same tactic in a softer fashion. The martial artist chuckled to himself.

It also just happened to be right where he wanted to go as well.

"Oh, I think we both know of a way we can 'substantiate' things." Ranma smirked, putting his hands in his pockets, emoting every bit of the careless teen for the man and initiating the only gambit that would possibly end this farce for everybody involved.

"I highly doubt anything of the sort," Hiashi maneuvered carefully, ensuring his overt boredom was plain for the world to see. "Perhaps I will humor you, however."

Ranma held the man's gaze, ensuring it communicated he knew exactly where he was being led. Hiashi returned it and waited. After all, there was no reason for the Hyuuga to make the final move and the man knew his art well enough _not_to make it; something Ranma could see all too well. It would be his and his alone.

"Then let's _substantiate _this outside." Ranma crooked a roguish grin, causing the room to stir with scandal.

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting, Saotome-san?" The Hyuuga clan leader asked innocently, and Ranma couldn't help but to roll his eyes with the act.

"You know I am."

A sigh interrupted their banter and both parties turned to the Hokage, who in turn favored both nin with a measure worn tolerance. "_Enough_ already. Let the record show that Saotome-san has challenged Hyuuga-san to a duel. Hyuuga-san, do you accept?"

"My honor would demand nothing less." Hiashi replied innocently. "I reserve the right to dictate my terms, of course."

Sarutobi nodded to the council recorder, who began to scribe the acceptance as well. "Off the record, I am hardly pleased with this particular outcome or the maneuvering leading up to it." The Third's displeasure covered both parties with its stare. "As such this will be a challenge, nothing more, nothing less. Do not even consider a fatal outcome or you will find my foot so far up your ass that your many times removed great grand children will feel it."

Ranma winced with the descriptive. Hiashi merely nodded.

The Sandaime paused, taking the moment to click the spent ash from his pipe before continuing, looking directly at Hiashi. "I hardly need to ask, but your terms, Hyuuga-san?"

"The only terms that would matter, of course," The clan lead replied easily. "The complete dismissal of Saotome-san from service as a Shinobi of Konoha, up to and including any rights to teach."

"And if I win?" Ranma jumped on the opportunity, only to find the Hokage frowning at him.

"_You_ challenged Hiashi-san," Sarutobi advised sternly. "_Those_ areyour terms."

"Ah c'mon." Ranma laughed derisively. "Ya telling me mister 'most important bloodline in all of Konoha' over there is writing checks his ass can't cash?"

"Saotome-san, refrain from-"

"I am feeling somewhat magnanimous, Hokage-sama." Hiashi chuckled, showing something close to real emotion for the first time since engaging in his political maneuvering. "I will accept any terms this_ child_has to offer."

"So be it." Sarutobi drummed his fingers on the council table, shaking his head. He returned a dead gaze to Ranma. "Your terms, Saotome-san?"

A sharks grin grew across the martial artists face as he turned to confront Hiashi directly. "Complete reinstatement of my status as a Shinobi."

The Hyuuga snorted amusement, and the Hokage shook his head, causing Ranma to frown at the unforeseen wrinkle in his plan. "Your reinstatement is a council matter, not for Hyuuga-san alone to decide one way or the other."

"It is fine, Hokage-sama." Hiashi acknowledged, still wearing a crooked smile.. "In the_ extremely _unlikely event that Saotome-san does prevail, he shall have proven himself to me and I will support him before the council. If we are quite through now, I move we-"

"I ain't finished."

Hiashi blinked, turning to stare directly at the pigtailed boy. "Insolent child. You have stated your terms and-"

"Scribe please read Hyuuga-san's response to Saotome's request for terms." Sarutobi ordered with the slightest smile playing along the edge of his lips.

"I am feeling somewhat magnanimous, Hokage-sama." The scribe recited, his flat voice echoing in silence around the chamber as he read ink that had barely begun to dry. "I will accept any terms the child has to offer."

The Clan head began to sputter his denials. "Nonsense. He has stated his terms and these proceedings should adjourn for what are undoubtedly more pressing matters than humoring a thirteen year old child."

"You cannot have it both ways, Hyuga-san." The Sandaime shook his head, solemnly. "You will either accept the 'any' of Saotome-san's 'terms', and I stress _plural_, or you will dishonorably forfeit this challenge before it has even begun."

Hiashi's mouth opened and he turned to Ranma to find the boy grinning wickedly at him. His cheek twitched, but the man managed to regain control of himself. "Very well, Hokage-sama."

"And that is why I hate politics. It has a nasty habit of biting you in the ass." Sarutobi mused, returning his attention to Ranma. "The remainder of your terms, Saotome. Your requests _will _be reasonable out of respect to a clan head of Konoha, am I clear?"

"Crystal." Ranma nodded happily.

"Then you may proceed."

Ranma turned and purposely faced Hiashi Hyuuga, his pernicious grin returning. This time, the clan head couldn't help but to feel a sinking pit in his stomach. Ranma took a final moment to word his demand carefully. "Don't worry, I only got one more: The complete reinstatement of Hinata Hyuuga as heir to Clan Hyuuga and ta receive any and all support due her station _without challenge_."

The girl in question gasped silently. The Third Hokage of Konoha blinked. Everybody else stared, but their eyes weren't on Ranma. Their eyes were on the myriad of reactions playing across Hiashi's face. It took a full fifteen seconds before actual speech began to fall from the man's mouth in the form of sputtered protests, finally resolving into actual words thirty seconds later.

"I will _not_ have a _nobody _dictate how my clan is managed!" Hiashi lashed out bitterly at Ranma, whose shark eating grin hadn't wavered in the least. In fact, it had grown with the outburst. "I will not-!"

"This 'nobody' is a ninja of Konoha until this council deems otherwise, Hyuuga-san." Sarutobi advised sternly. "Will you accept or decline Saotome-san's terms?"

"I will not lose." Hiashi returned bitterly.

"And that ain't an answer." Ranma pointed out, scoring another twitch from the older man's cheek.

"I _accept_."

"As that is Saotome-san's final demand, messengers will be dispatched with a precise date, time and location as scheduled by an impartial third party for the match to occur. Both participants will refrain from contact until such date," Hiruzen detailed wearily. "These proceedings are _thankfully_ adjourned."

The Hokage stood up from his chair to stretch his aching back, then simply walked out with one thought on his mind.

_I'm getting too old for this shit._

* * *

**V**ery rarely was Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts invited to a _mere _challenge. Sure he had attended his share, but they more often than not included some not so subtle twist on the what should have been a straight forward dual between two parties. His martial arts challenges usually included that something extra; Noodle Ryu. Combat Dining. Anything Goes Take Out. Even Combat Nail Filing, involving a well executed manicure and pedicure filed into razor sharp implements of martial arts destruction, dispatching opponents with nail files, massages and the like.

Three days later, it would appear this challenge would follow the same trend, if not from an angle the martial artist was expecting. Ranma had figured his fight with Hiashi would be a fairly mundane affair compared to what he was used to. His own students, on the other hand had their own ideas.

"You've got to be kidding!" Ino exclaimed in an agitated manner, looking up at him and the fence he had been practicing along. The martial artist was fairly certain that the idea had originated from the blond, but once she had broached it, his other two students had thrown in behind her in a surprising show of unity. Ino looked him up and down with a plainly dissatisfied look.

"And I still ain't got no idea what you're talking about." Ranma shook his head, pausing in the low impact kata he had been engaged in to use up the last few hours until the scheduled match. The other two girls looked about as clueless as he did, making the Anything Goes heir feel marginally better. The blond produced a greatly exaggerated sigh.

"You're going to fight the clan head of one of the most prestigious clans in Konoha, right?" She confirmed, prompting Ranma to roll his eyes.

"I can't exactly go fighting myself, ya know?" He smiled back, causing even TenTen to punch her forehead at the unabashed display of ego.

"I'm serious!" Ino stomped, starting to get upset. "This is important stuff and you're going to fight _like that?_"

Now Ranma paused, directing his full attention and a befuddled look at the girl as he hopped down from the fence. "Like what?"

"Like that!" Ino Yamanaka motioned to him, indicating _all _of him. Their instructor blinked, looking down to find out what about all of him had so grievously offended the girl. "That!" she fingered the dark blue tunic that had been his fashion statement since his arrival in Konoha courtesy of the commissary. "And this!" Ino tugged on rough fabric of his plain black pants. "You can't go out kicking the butt of somebody as important as Hyuuga-sama in _that!_"

Ino paused, turning back to Hinata. "No offense, 'Nata-chan."

"N-none taken." Hinata blinked.

"Look, there's nothin' wrong with-"

"She's got a point, Sensei." TenTen reaffirmed, looking at her instructor with a critical eye now that Ino had pointed it out. "What your wearing right now doesn't exactly impress."

"I ain't looking to impress. It's what they set me up with when I got here!" Ranma balked, motioning to his own shirt and the ten similar pairs of shirts and pants back in his apartment by extension. "I didn't exactly drop by with luggage and a butler, ya know?"

Ino folded her arms with an unyielding air about her. "Well, there's no point in making a bad decision worse. We're going _shopping_."

Ranma likewise folded his arms in defiance. "I'm _not_going shopping."

Ranma Saotome, heir to the Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū went shopping.

By the time the Special Team Thirteen Lead walked out onto the field of battle three hours later. He was, as TenTen had put it, dressed to impress. The initial decision to do so had been completely involuntary in nature, and Ino had met stiff resistance to the idea until TenTen chimed in. It wasn't until Hinata's silent buy-in that the martial artist buckled and was led around like a man awaiting his execution to several clothing stores around Konoha by three extremely eager teenage girls.

Ino had picked out the top. While his charges had no idea who the Chinese were or how they related to his fashion preference, one simple comment about its similarity to TenTen's styling was all it took to find an equivalent. The weapon user was able to find a Mandarin shirt at one of her usual clothing stores, even as Ino engaged Hinata in picking over its styling. While they looked over the color, TenTen stalked over to the pants section of the shop to find something to match.

Their task was twofold, a fact realized when one of the store keepers passed by with a pitcher of water. Ino gained an unholy gleam in her green eyes as their black haired instructor melted into a redheaded kunoichi. The shopping began anew, much to Ranma's horror.

When it was all said and done, Ranma was wearing a blue Mandarin shirt in white trim nominally unbuttoned per Ino's stylistic insistence. Below it and directly visible was the black netting of body mesh at TenTen's suggestion, to 'better contain your womanhood', as she put it. That statement alone caused the boy to twitch, but the mesh protection was better than a bra and he ultimately submitted to the necessary evil.

His pants were black cargo shorts mirroring the white trim theme of the shirt, reaching down to his shins. This was also a calculated fashion decision on Ino's part given Ranma's tendency to change genders at the drop of a hat. As a male, They'd simply look like fashionably long cargo shorts replete with loops, pockets and other useful ninja paraphernalia. As a female, they all but became full pants on her shorter frame. Ino considered herself a genius by the time their shopping had come to an end.

The final touch was Hinata's, and Ranma adjusted the Hitai-ite she had tied around his waist like belt as he stepped onto Practice Range Three, leaving three worried genin in his wake. The sidelines were all the closer the girls were allowed, which left him to face the adults; passing by Gai and Kurenai and their stoic expressions on his way to the challenge boundaries.

"Neji's version of the Juuken is incomplete," Gai Maito commented, falling into step with the martial artist. "Expect a perfected form from Hiashi with a number of variable structures to attack from."

With the advice, he dropped away, leaving the Team Eight lead to walk him the final few yards. "Ninjutsu and Taijustu. The Hyuuga don't put much emphasis on Genjutsu. It's possible, so if things start to not add up, pain inflicted upon one's self should break it."

"Thanks, K-chan." Ranma nodded. The woman blinked at the familiar name and nodded with a slight smile before she stepped away as well, leaving him to walk alone toward The Third Hokage and his opponent.

"Saotome." Hiruzen acknowledged the boy as he joined them, taking a puff from his pipe before beginning the official proceedings in a more forceful tone that everybody on the sidelines could hear. "As determined previously, this is a challenge, nothing more. Anything that even _smells_like a blow to kill or maim will result in immediate and dishonorable forfeiture. Do both parties understand?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Hiashi nodded, completely unconcerned.

"Got it." Ranma likewise indicated his acceptance.

"The winner will be determined by either knock-out, tap-out or any condition that simulates a kill." The Hokage continued. "I likewise reserve the right to determine a victor if it becomes obvious that one of you is no longer in any condition to fight or stands no realistic chance of winning. Do _not _expect to overturn this determination if I have to make it, is that also clear?"

Both parties nodded, and Sarutobi took another lengthy drag from his pipe.

"Please move to your starting positions." He ordered, and both fighters turned away from one another, moving to two marked positions ten meters opposite one another with the Hokage now between the pair. He glanced at Ranma who was tightening the fabric around his hands, then Hiashi, and began to move off the field. Once he had reached the sidelines to accompany the minimal audience present, he nodded, adjusting the red on white kasa atop his head to shield his eyes from the sun.

"Gentlemen, the field is yours."

The result of that particular statement was rather anti-climatic as both fighters simply stood in place and studied the other. Even in that, however, they were polar opposites. Hiashi stood by ready, not exactly tense but obviously prepared to receive any incoming attack that was directed at him. Ranma, in contrast, didn't appear ready at all. In fact, he didn't even appear to be taking the match seriously as evidenced by his pocketed hands and nearly slouched stance.

Just as the waiting verged on the edge of impatience for the observers, Hiashi abruptly activated the Byakugan and lurched forward, covering ten meters in the blink of an eye to engage the martial artist in direct hand to hand combat. The activation of his bloodline was also one hell of a way to telegraph his opening move in Ranma's opinion, and he met the man half way in his own burst of speed, resulting in a billowing cloud of dust at field center.

The knife points of Hiashi's fingers arced in as if riding lightning, but Ranma was prepared and taking this opponent completely seriously. There were no showy dodges or ego driven extras, only an economy of movement that deflected the stabs of chakra while initiating his own probes into the man's defense. The martial artist dodged another pinpoint combination, pivoting left to present a smaller profile and responded with his own blurring counterattack. Two kicks and five punches were deflected with the same precision, and Ranma couldn't help but to grin. Hiashi was already resetting his Juuken for the next series of strikes but was forced to quickly abort them as the boy in front of him failed to actually set his next salvo up and instead flowed right into a new attack.

It provided a modicum of surprise, but nothing that would compromise his guard. The speed of the follow up punches were impressive for a boy his age, but if it were any indication of where the match was heading, the outcome was sure to be-

Another kick was deflected and Hiashi failed to noticed the fist it was screening and the speed potential the child had held back. In moments, the Hyuuga went from planning his victory to pain as that fist slammed into his ribs with far more force than somebody the size of his opponent should have been able to produce. And he was right.

Hiashi moved to cover the breach and the now forceful ache along his ribs, noting that the punch wasn't simply one, but _dozens_before he could cut the attack off. Even if he didn't respect it, he had no choice but to be wary as he pulled back and gave ground to an onslaught of punches. As quickly as they appeared, a new attack roared into his left flank and the man now found himself countering a dizzying, almost nonsensical barrage of punches and kicks that seemed rooted in no particular style, but had somehow been cut and pasted into one regardless.

The clan head took the opportunity the drop in speed represented and fully disengaged in order to begin a clean offensive, but the boy would have none of it. Ranma took to the air in his pursuit and this time the clan head couldn't help but to produce a cold smile

It was almost a pity the fight would end so soon.

Ironically, Ranma Saotome was thinking the same thing.

The man's speed was better than respectable, and his comparison lay a world away back in Nerima in the form of an Old Ghoul. Like Neji and Hinata before him, the Saotome dissected his opponent's art even as he engaged it, noting similarities to several pressure point combat styles and even Amazonian Wu-Shu. If the man wasn't already as fast as he was, the first feint and attack would have probably taken him out; and now he watched as the blowhard backed out of range to set up for another run.

_As if._

That was going to be something he would ensure wouldn't carry over to Hinata. Neither Neji nor his uncle had exhibited any hardy ability to deal with opponents that could bringing their rolling combinations to a halt, and it was something he was going to make Hiashi pay dearly for. Ranma leaped after him, intending to rain pain from the sky, only to watch a smirk form on the man's lips. He lurched left and began to _spin_.

It was a technique Ranma had yet to encounter through either Neji or Hinata, and he was breaking it down point by point even as another portion of his alarmed intellect coped with actually _dealing_with the man's surprise: the Eight Trigrams Heavenly Spin.

_High speed hand to handdefense. Three hundred and sixty degrees coverage. Chakra enhanced. _The technique was analyzed and committed to memory in the precious few seconds Ranma had as he literally fell into the technique's effective envelope. The martial artist considered his offensive options in that remaining second and didn't like what he saw. Hiashi had already built up enough velocity to ensure that any attack would be met with an overwhelming response; An almost a super, but stationary chestnut fist that he desperately didn't want to be a part of.

_Extract. Counterattack._

Ranma aborted his offensive entirely and kicked a leg out, shifting his rotation to all but dive in to Hiashi's glowing blue spin of doom. His opponents hands reached out to strike him and Ranma met them in kind, but with absolutely no intention to breach or parry. He punched at the blows and used them and the buffeting chakra shock wave to hand-dance across the technique's dome before gaining enough kinetic energy to actually handspring off and away.

Shock lanced through Hiashi as watched the boy land five meters away and sighted on him, hands thrust out towards his person. They began to glow, and the clan head used the remainder of the Heavenly Spin's energy to dodge left as the child's un-chakra flared to life. He barely cleared the brilliant blue ball of compressed atmosphere, feeling its energy blaze by his back and explode just out of range in a violent plume of dust and stone. His defensive spin bled off and Hiashi took the opportunity to launch his next trigrams combination with considerably more resolve to take his opponent as the serious threat he was.

Ranma met the graceful slide with his own parry, only to feel dense thud meet the back of his fists. Hiashi's body exploded and a cut log tumbled away from the impact while the real threat reappeared on his right flank; already dancing in for the kill. Ranma snarled, knowing he was too far out of position and his opponent too close to intercept the initial blow, meaning damage control was the best he could hope for against an opponent this skilled.

Hiashi found himself unknowingly facing the same situation his nephew had face only weeks ago. Ranma Saotome didn't have chakra in the traditional sense and while there were nodes of energy plainly visible within his biology, he had no real clue as to what was vital to the boys continued ability to fight and what wasn't. As a result, he had little choice but to attack them at random, but insisted on prioritizing the largest first.

A dagger of pain stabbed deep within Ranma even as he kicked around to stymie the opening. Another excruciating jab, but Ranma managed to work through the liquid pain thanks to his sessions with Hinata and chop the next strike down; rolling out before the next chakra strike landed. This time Hiashi intended to fully press his advantage and followed the martial artist around to press the attack, satisfied that his opponent was barely keeping up with his strikes.

_The next fault will be decisive, _Hiashi surmised and continued to pour on the speed, fully intent on breaking the child's guard. Ranma stepped out and around the blows again, using the chestnut fist just to break even and was feeling it. Hiashi's jabs had done something, and now it seemed his own ki was even more unwilling to be drawn than before.

Fortunately, his counter move wouldn't require any of his own ki what-so-ever.

Ranma's fist punched skyward and Hiashi's chakra was ensnared within the mini spiral Ranma had traced. It was barely two meters in diameter, but the sudden gust of wind was more than enough to lift the clan elder off his feet end as coils of fabric purposely unwound themselves from around the boy's hands and forearms. The cyclone caught them as intended, spiraling up to entangle the man where upon Ranma pulled them taught, snaring Hiashi completely

Ranma yanked down. _Hard_. His own strength lent itself to the effort, but the bulk of his force came from the dissipating spiral and Hiashi slammed into the grass-dirt composite of the practice range grounds with more force than a Hiryu Shoten Ha that stunted would have ordinarily produced. He was driven into the ground in an explosive cloud of debris.

"Gotta love the classics." Ranma panted, savoring the impact until the fabric anchors on his opponent suddenly slackened. Alarm blasted through his brain, but a bruised Hiashi was already charging out of the cloud of dust with the remains of Ranma's fabric snare trailing behind him. The martial artist set himself up for another defensive counterattack when the man suddenly slid to a halt, pirouetting around fully and pushing to open palms in his direction.

"Two Trigrams: _Tsunami!" _

Ranma's eyes widened and the ground before Hiashi was literally ripped apart by a dense wave front of pure chakra, razing the grass before him until the invisible wall slammed directly into the Saotome. He slid back in a daze with the font of pressure, and Hiashi went all in; his fingers slipping back into the classic configuration dictated by his Juuken doctrine. The pigtailed boy tumbled with the initial blow and righted himself, but not before his opponent could land three more solid blows and an open palmed strike to the face. Ranma spared another chest nut fist counter to buy an few extra seconds to disengage. His left arm began to burn with the exertion, but it did the job, allowing his right arm to come to bear at point blank range.

"_Moko Takabisha!_" He yelled, and Hiashi took the confidence technique squarely in the chest. _Not enough power_, Ranma grimaced as his opponent staggered with the explosive compression, prompting the martial artist to apply his left hand to the effort and double down. Another ki shot flashed out courtesy of the Takabisha Double, though this one was only a glancing blow. Hiashi's sidestep was too slow to miss the impact completely, but even he could tell that Ranma's technique was losing power. He endured its buffeting and turned back to his opponent to find him fading into translucent shadow.

_Time ta end this,_Ranma decided and stepped fully into the Umi Sen Ken, circling around his opponent for Hiashi's exposed back in order to deliver a final blow to every pressure point he could reach along the man's spine. The martial artist ghosted in hunched over, stepping into the final stance that would spell victory.

"Fool." The word drifted to his ears, and Hiashi suddenly spun around with the same speed he had exhibited from the very beginning of the match. _"I CAN SEE YOU!"_

Ranma's eyes widened in shock, but it was already too late. Hiashi was up to speed in a fraction of a second and the Heavenly Spin tore into Ranma like a sledgehammer, even as the boy desperately abandoned the attack in favor of self preservation. Knife point fingers began to slam into him. His own Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken deflected dozens of the percision strikes, but there were far too many and the Hyuuga technique began shutting down more of his ki while inflicting substantial injury.

Desperation fueled Ranma's next move as he executed a half assed roll and punched his finger to the ground, causing it to spontaneously detonate within Hiashi's Heavenly Spin technique. Instead of having a single target to dispatch, he now had several dozen stone fragments well within the critical range of his defense. The very ground at his feet exploded, sending Ranma tumbling out of the spin's influence while subjecting Hiashi himself to the Breaking Point's ballistic fragmentation without warning. His innate speed allowed him to deflect over two thirds of the shrapnel, though the almost nonexistent flight time ensured he took the remainder of its payload across multiple points of his body.

His coordination destabilized and the spin died a sloppy death as the clan head stumbled away from the crater at his feet. After suffering from several seconds of vertigo, he was able to see Ranma hadn't fared much better. The boy was only now picking himself up of the ground ten meters way and wiping the blood from his mouth. Whatever earth technique he had just employed, he had clearly done so in desperation and had taken almost as much damage in turn. Hiashi watched the boy shake the impact off and probed him with the Byakugan. Ranma's un-chakra had taken a significant blow thanks to his Juuken strikes, and it was increasingly obvious that his opponent was nearing the limits of his endurance. Hiashi had to give his challenger his due, however. What was supposed to have been an easy challenge had turned into anything but, and the boy had acquitted himself admirably in spite of the disparity in age and power levels. There was no doubt he would be feeling this fight for _weeks_afterward.

Hiashi waited for the black haired martial artist to fully reassemble his wits as a token of respect for the child, and stepped into his final juuken stance. It was time to end this.

Ranma made his move first, knowing full well that what happened in the next minute would decide the match and his fate in Konoha. Ki burned in his veins as he desperate pulled at the blockages to feed it all into speed. The Anything Goes heir's muscles protested his abuse of them, but he ignored the burn, flashing forward with what represented the last of his speed and stamina in order to meet the gentle fist user head on. He couldn't stealth by Hiashi's combinations, and they were both far too evenly matched in nonlethal techniques. A last stand blitzkrieg was all he had left.

The clan head reached out to deflect Ranma's chestnut fist. half a dozen solid counters. Two dozen flashed by in a second, but they too were blocked. There was no solid resistance in the third iteration as the boy disappeared, leaving only his shirt behind as a substitution. The boy's un-chakra flickered behind him and he spun around hard on reflex, only to instantly realize that the new image of Ranma was another crafted diversion. The Byakugan picked up the martial artist's true movements at angle three hundred and twelve, and Hiashi stepped back and pivoted to intercept.

For Ranma Saotome, this was it; An all or nothing gambit. The shirt substitution had put Hiashi out of position. The Splitting Cat hairs technique had drawn him further out of position, but not quite far enough. The Hyuuga had seen through the Old Ghoul's technique far too quickly and now it was final race of seconds. The martial artist deflected the counter blow with his left arm even as his right arm sought the only targets that mattered: A series of instant paralysis pressure points along his left flank. There were five total, and his finger tip stabbed as time slowed to molasses.

One.

_Faster! Faster! Faster!_ Hiashi's guard was coming back up too quickly and he spared another precious second deflecting a counter attack, before returning to his goal. He localized the next pressure point in line and isolated it, stabbing in once more.

Two.

_Not fast enough!_ Ranma's psyche screamed as he was forced to divert more attention to self defense and the threat of decisive counterattack. He yanked at the blocks stunting his ki but they refused to budge. Hiashi's juuken had shut them down hard and he was having to make do... Which wasn't nearly good enough. Not against an opponent of this caliber. An open palmed strike sought to make his acquaintance, forcing the Anything Goes heir to work to even get a clear line of sight to point number three. _Ki! Chakra! Anything!_

But there was nothing. Not enough ki any more. His chakra was downright anemic, and the exercises over the past few weeks hadn't changed that to any significant degree. Ranma's thoughts paused in that floating second and reassessed the definition of usable. All he needed was _something_. A burst.

The martial artist took a chance at pressure point number three and almost took the full combination of Hiashi's blurring counterattack in the process, setting Ranma firmly on the defensive. Out of options, Ranma began to pull at the rei. It was barely there, but after his sessions with Iruka and Hinata, he could at least tug on it and began the effort to mold that which was barely there. _MoreMoreMoreMore_-

Two finger tips came in. Ranma ran out of time and yanked hard on anything he could. Ki. Rei. Chakra. All of it and all with the intention to move faster. Something else answered.

Ranma Saotome's body responded.

_Something_ shifted in his vision. Something in his perspective. Suddenly, the ki blocks outright disappeared and power flooded back into his body. _Her _body. The change in gender was noted and shoved to the back of a now redheaded Saotome's mind as Hiashi's finger point stabs floated before her moments from impact. But they were slow now.

_So very slow._

Ranma ducked under them with liquid grace even as Hiashi himself registered the miss, punctuated by a stab at pressure point three. He reacquired the blurring girl and attempted to limit her offensive, only to watched her float around his next juuken combination, slap his probing hand away and stab the next point.

One left.

Hiashi hung on the edge of desperation as he fought to keep the girl at bay, back peddling as she continued to out pace his guard. His very body had begun to numb, indicating that letting her even touch him again was a very bad idea. Even so, the clan leader could see she was well past the edge of exhaustion, but that was apparently a trivial fact against her very will to see the match through. Ranma dove in for the last pressure point, and Hiashi did the only thing he could.

_"Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin!"_

The spectators along the sideline of the practice range watched as both combatants were suddenly engulfed in the Hyuuga's ultimate defense once again. Chakra radiated outward in an attempt to expel the invader through sheer force of arms. Nothing had been known to penetrate, let alone _survive_ within its perimeter intact in the known history of the technique's existence. The outcome was certain and Sarutobi was about to call the match in order to spare the exhausted boy turned girl when the dome of chakra _flickered_.

The old man blinked to ensure his eyesight wasn't failing, and the dome blinked out again before expiring _completely_. Ranma was blown back in a violent tumble much like before, even as Hiashi's spin ran out of inertia and the man stabilized himself, though barely. The clan head stood, but unsteadily, teetering back and forth as if drunk; while his scraped and bruised opponent fought her way to her own feet.

The Third watched both combatants maintain an unsteady footing for several more seconds before Hiashi fell over. Sarutobi blinked, watching for signs or anything that would indicate a struggle to return to consciousness.

There weren't any. The man was out _cold_.

The Hokage and everybody present turned a wondering gaze to the unsteady girl, who only had eyes for her prone challenger. Sarutobi approached her carefully. "Saotome?"

"H-Hey old man," She panted, still barely maintaining her footing. She turned an exhausted look on him. "How long do I... Do I gotta stay up to count this a win?"

The Professor studied her for a moment, then glanced back to Hiashi. Still no movement. He turned back to the assembled crowd to deliver the improbable outcome. "Victory, Saotome-san."

A dead smile cross the girl's face. "Thanks old man."

Ranma was unconscious before she hit the ground.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Hell yeah. As you can probably tell by the turn-around time between chapters 10 and 11, I really enjoyed writing this one. I think it's probably the fastest turn around I've managed, especially on something over 17kw. I hope you enjoyed reading it as I did writing it for you. I know some of the subject matter might be controversial in terms of balancing power levels, but I did my best to portray the characters accurately. Hope that came through as well. No guarantees 13 will come out nearly this quickly, but I'll do what I can in terms of fic rotation. You never know. crap just sneaks up and bites me sometimes.

**Ranma vs Hiashi** - _Lots of debate went on about this particular battle with odds skewed wildly toward Ranma completely dominating the fight to, well, the match you see written. Essentially, I'm portraying the man as a combat veteran and master of his art. Taken in terms of canon, the Hiashi is visually one dimensional with few actual combat hours to his appearances. I find it hard to believe that a veteran of the Third Shinobi War, easily a jounin, doesn't have more to him than what is portrayed. In terms of anecdotal evidence, we have PTS Hinata and Neji coming up with techs left and right, well beyond the initial patterned Juuken. I cannot in good fiction conscience portray the man as lesser than the very people he trained and are still half his age._

_Hiashi's speed was largely a guestimation on my part based on the above, with strength again being the more controversial topic. Can a 13 year old Ranma out muscle a 40 yr old Jounin? Well, my answer is in the fight. Based on the plot that I've essentially set up, I don't think a 13 yr old Ranma straining to access his ki in a body he's only held for 2 months would be able to. Hiashi's strength was likewise brought up, since he practiced the "gentle fist" which is speed and precision. The question became; is it speed and precision at the cost of dumping strength, and if so, how much? Justifications were made back and forth, but in the end I had to consider one immutable fact: Apparently not for canon Ranma, who has all those attributes alive and well. Can I credit Hiashi with anything less? Not really and its not something you'll find me apologizing for :) _

_Finally, Ranma has a number of potent techniques at his disposal. The higher ones are generally lethal and unusable for this particular fight._

**Court Martial; **_Well, not exactly. more like a civilian inquiry supervised by a military leader. Thanks again to __**Fosfor/Case13**__ and __**MageOhki**__ for helping me ride the fine line between the outcomes of blood feud vs 'friendly spar' that could result in Ranma-Hiashi banter._

**ZOMG!Council;** _Another gray area of the Narutoverse; you really don't know what these people do except for their emergency Hokage powers and the fact that Danzo uses them as cover. As such, you'll have to forgive me for taking author's license here as well._

**Breaking Point;** _Obviously I've scripted Ranma as being able to use it. What he hasn't done yet is use that 13 yr old body for boulder practice, meaning that he lacks the durability to use it safely._

**Tsunami;** _Just as the younger members of his clan do not stick to straight juuken, I have scripted Hiashi to have this non-canon range closer._

**Ino;**_ You have questions. I have answers. Just not here :)_

**FFNET;**_ Is being a punctuation nazi again. If something looks off, it's probably because it's being aggressively filtered, like an exclamation and question mark strung together.  
_

**Special Thanks;** This list usually is long, so suffice to say everybody in the previous chapter and **Netherwing** for services rendered. Also, thanks to factions at **TFF** for helping me with a match, but that's probably still in flux. Maybe. I'm an indecisive bastard in that direction**. Pyro/DCG**; I'll try to get docs to work for you next time. Promise ;)


	12. Chapter 12

**Tales of the Foxcat**  
_By Ozzallos_

**Chapter 12**

**R**anma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts watched old men bicker. It was not the most visceral of activities nor was it anything he would want to endure for any length of time, but realistically, he had brought it all upon himself. The bald man was hollering at the one with the goatee. The eye-patched geezer was trying to engage another council member to his right in conversation, and so on it went. Only the bandaged one appeared to retain some semblance of calm, but overall it was old geezer chaos in the martial arts heir's opinion.

The pigtailed boy leaned over in Sarutobi's direction, careful not to engage an angle that would turn his sling ridden left arm out of position and incite it to further pain. Ranma cast a speculative glance to the old man he was standing next to. "They always like this?"

The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe while emoting supreme calm. "Unfortunately, yes."

"And you're here for every one of these?" Ranma pressed, causing Sarutobi to actually turn to the black haired boy with a dead look.

"Yes."

Ranma's face crinkled a bit with the notion. _Boredom, torture and a lobotomy all rolled into one. _He turned his blue eyes back to the argument in progress and shook his head. "Damn. Sucks to be you."

The Third raised a skeptical eyebrow with Ranma's missive, but found himself nodding in the end. "Some days more than others." He let the running argument carry on for another five minutes before clearing his throat to forcefully gain their undivided attention. "Ahem. Has the council reached a consensus?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Councilman Santis manufactured a contrite smile. "We have taken into account-"

"My counterpart has apparently reached a consensus in his own mind," The eye patched elder shook his head, casting a glare in the bald man's direction. "As for the rest of us, it appears we will have a deadlock with no clear majority."

"And the primary concerns?" Sarutobi inquired, all but knowing the answers to his largely rhetorical question. Still, it was either him getting the council to work out their differences or override them. Like a lot of the politics that forced upon him, the latter option might very well revisit him at a later date and in a less than pleasant manner. He was certainly the village's supreme dictator, but the men before him could make his life more difficult just by enacting inane policy. _Of course, I could just sac them_, Sarutobi mused as he had so many times before and mentally sighed. Ratcheting up the dictatorship screws would cause its own problems and so, like many times in the past, he waited.

"The boy is clearly skilled enough, no offense, Hiashi-san," One of the other council members started, airing his grievances even as he cast an apologetic off to Hiashi Hyuuga who sat off to the side with the other team leads. The clan head simply acknowledged the gesture with a curt nod, and the man continued. "But his training methods are far too extreme."

"The children don't seem horribly opposed," Another countered reasonably. "Hell, we have each interviewed separately. What more do you want?"

"Children do not know what is best for them," The mummified member of their number inserted innocuously. "Asking their opinion is a far cry from fact and still ignores the fact that the boy harbors a potentially dangerous creature within him. To further allow him influence in Konoha?"

"Yeah, funny how I ain't killed anybody yet." Ranma quipped, and was immediately silenced by Sarutobi.

"You would do well not to speak more than you already have, Saotome-san," The Third cautioned, more to keep the boy's foot out of his own mouth than anything else. _Too late,_he decided with Councilman Santis's next words.

"'Yet'." The balding member frowned. "Shall we wait for it to happen? Shall we turn more of Konoha's secrets over to a disaster waiting to happen?"

"A shadow lurking behind every corner, eh, Santis-san?" Aki rolled the single eye he had available.

"Funny coming from the man who wants to seal off Konoha from the rest of the world," His verbal sparring partner poked. "Weren't you just advocating we close off the village to the Exams?"

"And now you're splitting hairs." Santis's opponent shook his head. "Keeping tabs on one child is hardly securing an entire village and its obviously porous security."

"A child with a Raiju embedded in him," Danzo pointed out quietly, causing his ally to nod emphatically.

"Which is not the same as a tailed beast," A voice from the back added for clarity.

"Legends." Santis retorted imperiously, and shot a calculated glance over to Hiashi Hyuuga sitting at his own station. "Heresay. It apparently compelled him to literally a Hyuuga within a week of his arrival."

"Yes, sitting on her lap, then training her as a kunoichi is clearly a threat of massive proportions." Aki shook his head and responded with dry sarcasm. "I shudder to think what he'll do next."

"Perhaps a mission on the women's bathhouse instead of us, next time." Another member inserted humorously, causing chuckles to ripple through the assembly. Once they had died down, Danzo sighed.

"It looks like the deciding vote will be yours, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi's own mirth at the last comment died with the suggestion, and he cast a critical eye at the gauze wrapped man who waited passively for his response. Of course, that was actually the very last thing he wanted to do. Better to lead the council to his point of view than to override them and provide an excuse for the dissention amongst them. The Professor sighed internally. Without his intervention, the council would remain hopelessly deadlocked and time would work against any chance the Saotome had of retaining his position.

_Fear and loathing are always in greater supply than hope and optimism, _Sarutobi noted soberly. He would just have to deal with the fall out when it came time. He took a final puff from his pipe and savored the cinnamon tobacco for another moment before letting it loose into the air. "I am prepared to-"

"Hokage-sama, if I may?" Hiruzen paused, glancing over to Hiashi, who had stood up from his position. The man's face read like a solemn blank page and he had no idea whether his interruption would spell salvation or doom in spite of his purported word to support Ranma as a condition of their challenge. The Hyuuga clan head was more than suave enough to fulfill his obligation, but politically damn the boy behind him.

"I'm screwed."

Apparently Ranma knew it too if his barely audible mumble was any indication. Regardless, Sarutobi had little choice but to let the clan head speak. "Of course, Hyuuga-san."

Hiashi Hyuuga turned to the council themselves, acknowledging them with a nod. "As you are already undoubtedly aware, my personal involvement in this matter has removed my ability to cast a vote on this particular topic. I will, however, offer my opinion."

"It is my recommendation that Saotome-san be reinstated fully as a ninja of Konoha." Ranma blinked as the words were uttered, completely bereft of political doublespeak or any Nabiki-like undertones. "His challenge was executed with consummate skill and restraint, and I observed no loss of control at any point during the match."

The reaction from the council was a mixture of thoughtful nods, displeased frowns and outright stares as he continued. His explanation even caused the Hokage to pause, Sarutobi set his pipe aside and watched the drama play out before him.

"While I have little official say in the outcome of this vote, I would consider it a _personal favor _to Clan Hyuuga if you would lend your support to Clan Saotome." He finished, then returned to his seat with the same dignity he had stood. Silence reigned for almost a full thirty seconds before the council imploded upon itself with the murmurs of internal debate and discussion.

Ranma openly stared at the elder, who only took note of him with the slightest of nods before turning back to watch the council deliberate. It took a full ten minutes for the debates to finally die off and Councilman Aki stepped forward. "We have reached a clear majority, Hokage-sama."

The Third merely nodded, finally partaking of the pipe that had been sitting idle to the side of his desk. "What say you?"

"The council deems that an inquiry is no longer necessary." He replied formally. "The facts bare out that Saotome-san is acting with the best interests of his team and the village at heart and is likewise not a threat to either. We do ask that he compose his training with more care, however."

"So noted. Does the council wish to record a formal vote?" Sarutobi responded, only to watch Councilman Santis shake his head.

"It is unnecessary, Hokage-sama." The bald man replied, prompting a smirk from within the Third's thoughts.

_Wouldn't want your dissent on the record now, would we?_ He chuckled to himself and tended to closing out matter officially. "As there is no meaningful objections to the majority, this inquiry is hereby closed."

He turned to Ranma with a slight smile. The boy himself looked to be in a slight state of shock as he watched the council members file out of the room. "Congratulations. Let's not make a habit of this."

Several team leaders gave him deferential nods and in Gai's case, a solid slap on the back that sent him stumbling a step and caused him to only catch half the man's comment about something concerning the fires of youth. Kurenai waited patiently by, but it appeared Hiashi would pass him first. Ranma eyed the man as he seemed to walk by without noticing the pigtailed boy and Ranma was almost willing to do so, but stopped him with a single word.

"Thanks."

The Hyuuga paused for a moment, turning back with a studied gaze. They stared for a moment before Hiashi allowed the boy a stiff nodded and continued along. Behind him came Kurenai, who looked from Ranma to the departing Hyuuga.

"Quite an endorsement," She commented, leading the martial artist out of council chambers. She studied the martial artist as they descended to the ground floor in companionable silence. After another minute, Ranma shrugged.

"Thought he was going to bend me over, personally." Ranma commented, taking a deep breath and happy to be out in the sun once more.

"Certainly one of the tools available to him." The pale woman nodded with the observation. "Still, such an unqualified show of support is almost unprecedented."

"Long as he holds up the other part of the bargain." The boy next to her commented, prompting Kurenai to renew her study of Ranma. She took a moment to digest the insight before touching upon the topic.

"You are used to that, aren't you?" The jounin questioned gently as the pair took to the street. "The betrayal, that is."

Ranma merely snorted softly with the roadside psychoanalysis. "Let's just say my life's been full of examples of people I don't wanna turn into."

"I wouldn't lump Hyuuga-san into that category just yet." Kurenai advised even while she sympathized with her charge's ideology. "I have my own _reservations _concerning the man, but to recognize you as your own sovereign clan is no small gesture of good will, regardless of his emotional exterior."

"Or lack of one," Ranma huffed, but turned an eye up to his patron curiously. "And what do ya mean 'clan'?"

"Nothing official," She explained as they rounded a corner onto a new street. "But clan Hyuuga is all but part of the bedrock of Konoha. It's one of the oldest continuously surviving clans to present day and to have it formally recognize you as a clan is as legitimate as you can get without formally declaring it in ink."

"Huh. Go figure." Ranma stated as if the fact were little more than trivia while turning back to his main concern. "If he can do right by Hinata, I'll give him another shot."

Kurenai nodded, then readied herself to broach what promised to be a touchy topic. "Since you are being reinstated, now is as good a time as any to address another concern."

"Who'd I piss off this time?" The blue eyed boy chortled and the jounin forced a neutral expression.

"Nobody." _Thankfully,_ she added mentally. _Not that it will make this conversation any easier. _"You already know our concern with the gaps in your training; namely the genjutsu arts and your chakra. It has come to our attention that there is another area that may need addressed."

"Yeah, my endurance sucked that last match," Ranma groused, replaying the fight in his mind's eye. It wasn't quite what Kurenai had in mind, and she frowned as he continued. "Takin' that Breaking Point on the chin didn't help matters either. Will be fixin' that in short-"

"Saotome." Kurenai interrupted him, stopping him on the street by applying her hand to his shoulder. "Your performance during the fight was exemplary. My concerns are more _feminine _in nature."

It took a moment for the martial artist to decode the cryptic explanation, and doing so prompted him to scrunch his eyes. "Ah, dammit. Not this again! I told you I ain't teachin' the girls to kiss or anything!"

Kurenai's mouth opened to assuage the boy's objection but once again found it misplaced from the topic she had intended. Maybe that would come in time, but first there was this. "Not the girls, Ranma-kun."

The pigtailed boy's objection died on his lips as he attempted to divine her meaning, then visibly frowned himself. "Hope you ain't suggesting what I think your suggesting."

"I will attempt to be plain in order to avoid further misunderstanding." She replied seriously. "You are a shinobi that has a rather unique ability to turn into a kunoichi. There are certain crucial aspects of your gender that cannot be ignored."

"Ahhgh, not this conversation again." Ranma shook his head, stepping away from the woman as if she had become plague ridden. "Look, Kasumi got me up to speed on all that crap a year after I got to Nerima and it took weeks to get it out of my head."

Kurenai stared in wonder.

"Trust me when I say I got no intention of stayin' girl anywhere close to a month, let alone doin' all the stuff you're worried-"

"Saotome!" The kunoichi's patience finally expired in an uncharacteristic show of frustration. It was Ranma's turn to stare as she forcefully overrode him. "I am talking about the capture, interrogation and rape of any kunoichi that becomes either a potential source of intelligence or prisoner of war."

"I... ah..." Ranma hesitated, trying to wrap his brain around what she was trying to explain. It took a moment for him to digest her words before shaking his head in denial. "Not somethin' I gotta worry about. I'll just go guy and kick their ass, end of story."

Kurenai had to fight the urge not to grab the boy and shake some sense into him. "And what if you can't? What if you find yourself unconscious like you did after your challenge with Hyuuga-san? You're now captured and at the mercy of the enemy."

"It would take more than a beating to-"

"With the right techniques, you would _break_." Kurenai ignored him, causing Ranma to scowl. "Male nin usually get pain. Rape is occasionally used as an extraction tool for them, but it's more often than not reserved for kunoichi and the many avenues of attack they afford."

Somehow a small portion of Ranma's brain suspected that the avenues of attack she spoke of weren't martial arts related in any way, shape or form. His cheek began to twitch.

"It is my strong advisement you enroll in the SAS course that is routinely given to any nin at the rank of chuunin." She continued with slightly more composure. "Due to your unique condition, both male and female courses would not be out of the question."

_Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask, _the voice screamed from the back of Ranma's mind, but he did anyway, already knowing he would regret the answer. "SAS course?"

"Seduction/Anti-seduction training."

Ranma's mouth opened to object, then closed. It opened again and still no words came forth. After several seconds of mental deadlock, he took a deep breath, licking his suddenly dry lips. "Like I said, not goin' there, not something I gotta worry about."

"Saotome-"

"Got the kids to train." The martial artist waved as he walked away, dismissing her presence and her concerns entirely. "Talk to ya later."

* * *

**I**f Kurenai Yuhi was frustrated by the outcome of her meeting**, **Ino Yamanaka was doubly so as the redhead in front of her slid around her taijutsu double punch combination and evaded the kick that would have followed, as if the girl was dancing on ice and not grass. The blond huffed her annoyance and set at Ranma, trying to deluge her instructor's gliding evasion with Academy style claw taijutsu. Ino's hands flashed out to try and rake Ranma in a one-two combination, but failed to make any sort of contact.

"Hapkido variant, now? I like the switch-ups in style. Keep that rolling." The pleased look on her instructor's face surprised Ino, even if she batted her next strike aside as if it were nothing.

The Yamanaka shoved her confusion aside while trying to swat the bobbing girl out of her field of vision. Truth be told, she really didn't know that many styles, but she made the sloppy transition to Aggressive Fang regardless and tried to corner the redhead with more kicks. Ranma in turn grunted her approval, but took the opportunity to completely bypass any guard she had hoped to assemble and poke her squarely on the left shoulder. The blond tried to counter attack, but Ranma had already floated out of range. Ino almost wanted to give up right there, since her sensei wasn't even using a fraction of the speed they had witnessed in challenging Hiashi.

Even worse, the martial artist's right arm was still in a sling, meaning Ino _still _couldn't beat her with literally one hand tied, if not behind her back.

"Slow on the transitions." Ranma commented as she hopped over Ino's ground sweeping kick. "I want those faster."

Ino Yamanaka wanted to yell at the girl before her. To bitch about the unfair speed advantage, but she just couldn't rise to the occasion when that same incessantly annoying instructor had limped out of the hospital bed in order not to miss their training. Part of her lamented the loss of a week off with the challenge blowup. The other part... She wasn't sure about the other part but the closest she could come to defining the feeling was _relief. _If there had been any doubt as to just how serious Ranma was about their training and welfare, there wasn't now. Their instructor was somebody who could beat the Hyuuga clan head!

"After this, you're doing katas with 'Nata." The redhead stated as she ducked out of another fruitless combination. Ino scowled as it hadn't even interrupted her teacher. "She's gonna show you some basic Juuken. Good with you 'Nata-chan?"

Her sensei had the nerve to glance back at the girl and Ino took the opportunity to knock her block off with heavy handed right hook. Ranma didn't even looked back as she batted it aside, inciting the blond to an unladylike screech.

"Hai, Saotome-sama." Hinata nodded, causing Ranma to frown while turning her attention back to her incensed student.

"And save the sama thing for your old man."

Hinata nodded, but even Ino could tell there was no way that the girl was going to use anything_ but _that title from this point forward. She barely had any idea of just what sort of issues Hinata had been dealing with in her home life, but after nearly two months together, she had a vague idea. The inquest had taken that vague idea hit it up with a sobering reality check.

"You and Ten are gonna learn some of Hinata's basics." Ranma advised as she darted around the perimeter of her striking distance, interrupting Ino's thoughts in the process. "A week from now I want to start seeing them in the change ups."

"But we can't see like she does!" Tenten protested form the sidelines, accompanying Hinata as they watched.

"Don't matter." Ranma commented and evaded another string of kicks and punches. "It's a fluid close in style and you don't need her eyes to target vital nerves or bone structure. And what'd I tell you about brainin' people, 'No-chan?"

"Ow!" Ino exclaimed. The martial artist had ducked in and flicked Ino's forehead, causing the girl to stumble back and reinforcing that particular lesson painfully. She glared death back and Ranma with only one thought on her mind. _If it's a braining she wants, it's a braining she gets!_

"_Shintenshin no- _**OW!**"

The blond stumbled back again as Ranma took the opportunity her setup provided, and gave her forehead another flick. Ino rubbed her red mark fiercely, this time losing her temper. "What the hell!"

"Stop telegraphin' it." The redhead ordered with a half amused snort. "You think mister big bad ninja's just gonna wait for ya to fire it off?"

Ino threw a sloppy punch, only to have this one directly intercepted by Ranma's seemingly petite hand. Her genin tried to jerk it back to recover, only find it rooted in concrete. The redhead shrugged casually. "Take a rest."

Ino tried to force the strike one more time before simply giving up with a nod. Ranma released her hand and let the girl join the others on the sideline while outlining the next hour. "I want ya all to make a list of all the taijutsu styles you know between the three of you and take turns practicing them. That goes for you to, 'Nata-chan. You aren't just doin' Juuken anymore."

Ino noted that the girl didn't even look surprised and nodded briskly without even looking down or shying away. "Hai, Saotome-sama."

Ranma's face crinkled with the next application of 'sama', but it was Tenten that filled in the blanks. "So the more styles we can use, the more we'll be able to throw our opponent off?"

"Now you're gettin' it." Ranma produced a lopsided grin. "Once you're as good as I am, half the people you fight won't know what hit 'em once you start layering the combinations. Their ain't no one super-"

"_**WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?**_"

Ranma blinked as a voice he'd recognize anywhere echoed down the pathway that would open into range seven. Hinata also jerked her head in its direction, while the other girls merely watched curiously as the blond Jinchuuriki suddenly picked up the pace as he caught sight of Special Team Thirteen, leaving a rather imposing nin that none of the girls recognized in his wake.

"What the heck!" Naruto was on them in seconds, all but dancing around the redhead in order to better size up her injuries. The arm in the sling was obvious. The various bruises didn't show until he got much closer. "I'll bet you were just waiting for me to leave to get in a fight with super cool techniques!"

Ranma rolled her blue eyes, but divided her attention equally as the wall of muscle approaching them. He was a bare faced man that positively towered over all of them, especially Ranma and her own lost inches. He wore his Hitai-ite as an off centered bandanna that denoted what was perhaps the first non-Konohan symbol she had seen: Four wavy strikes imprinted into the metal plate. His garb consisted of black and white fatigues, and a sleeveless black shirt with lengths of cloth hanging loosely at the neckline.

"Somethin' like that," Ranma chuckled in spite of the menace the man radiated. Naruto looked all but put out.

"Dammit!" The blond stomped, then eyed the girl with a mischievous grin. "Did you at least kick his ass?"

Ranma opened her mouth and paused, glancing from Naruto to Hinata behind him. Seeing no response forthcoming from the girl beyond a blush, Ranma decided to drop a hint for the loudmouth and hope he'd have enough sense not to push the matter further. "Yeah, I kicked Hiashi Hyuuga-san's ass."

"Well that's greee-eeeh?" Naruto began to stumble, then looked from Ranma to Hinata and back. "Um, Hiashi-san? That's wouldn't be-?"

"And she can tell ya all about it if she wants." Ranma finished for him to help the boy from stepping in it any deeper. "Hell, since you're here you might as well help the girls work on their taijutsu list."

"Alright!" Naruto exclaimed immersed himself into the stunned girl's group by sheer force of enthusiasm.

Safely occupied, the redheaded girl's attention wandered back to the main source of her curiosity with a slight chuckle. "I think he forgot introductions. Saotome, Ranma."

"Momochi, Zabuza." The muscular man nodded slightly, scrutinizing her every inch with veiled amusement as his voice rumbled with subtle menace. Ranma was slightly startled to realize the man had filed every single visible tooth down to a sharp point as he spoke. "You're not at all what I expected from the brat's endless rambling."

"Yeah, well not all of us can be a ten foot tall wall of muscle," Ranma sniffed with amusement and tried to pin down his purpose for actually being out here staring her down like a bug. After several seconds of silent study, she went for the obvious. "Look, if it's a challenge, you're gonna have to wait. Old man Hyuuga didn't go down easily."

"No, nothing like that. Yet." The black haired man smirked, apparently happy that she was leaving the door open for that possibility in the future while wondering if she meant who he thought she meant. "I merely asked the kid to meet the ninja that taught him how to beat my Haku."

A befuddled expression enveloped Ranma's face as she turned to glance at Naruto, then looked around the man's imposing mass for any stragglers that may have accompanied him. She glanced back up to him. "And Haku is...?"

"Currently being treated by Konoha's med nin."

Ranma blinked at the revelation, then pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Dammit, can't I just go one week under the radar?" Zabuza raised an eyebrow at the frustrated question and watched as she turned back toward the group of girls and a single orange genin.

"First the seduction crap and now this," The redhead mumbled and shook her head as the Demon of the Hidden Mist watched. "Naruto, get your ass back over here!"

* * *

**S**asuke Uchiha tried to force the masked nukenin's senbon needle with the kunai in his left hand, effectively blocking his masked opponent's strike after a series of pitched parries and thrusts who's metallic pings echoed across the length of the unfinished bridge. At his back stood their oft drunken client, the useless girl and their lazy instructor. The dobe was nowhere to be found.

_Of course._

It didn't matter to Sasuke either way. The loudmouth would have been useless in a situation like this. Too slow, too loud, and too scared. Metal grated on metal as both nin's attempted to overpower the other, and for the moment, Sasuke had to admit they appeared to be evenly matched.

"I don't want to kill you." Sasuke almost wanted to laugh outright at masked female's statement. "But you won't stand down, will you?"

"Don't be foolish." Sasuke smirked while contemplating just what kind of ninja didn't want to kill anybody.

"I see." His opponent acknowledged plainly, holding the needle firmly against his thrust "But you won't be able to keep up with my speed next time. Plus, I've already gained two advantages."

"_Two _advantages?" The Uchiha returned skeptically. So far there hadn't been much to this girl but a lot of speed and even that he was starting to erode.

"The first is the water on the ground." Sasuke resisted the urge to look at the numerous puddles on the ground around him, wondering their significance as his kunai scraped along her needle. "And the second is that I've occupied one of your arms. You will only now be able to run from my attacks."

Sasuke puzzled over how the two were connected until the masked kunoichi lifted her free hand and began to sign a seal. W_hat?_ His brain started as he stared at the blurring signs in shock. _One handed?_

"Special jutsu." The missing nin intoned for the benefit of his opponent as she completed the last seal sign. "_Flying Water Needles._"

Sasuke heard the technique before he could see it. The water seemed to grow off the ground around them and crystallize at it did, crackling as individual branches hardened into crystal ice. He spared a quick glance around him and realized the branches of dagger ice encircled him, leaving one avenue of escape. _Concentrate my chakra_, he focused as the field of needles grew around him. _Remember the training. _The trap suddenly imploded. _To the legs!_

Needles dove in, perforating the space he had occupied merely seconds before. They retained their cohesion long enough to penetrate their target then instantly reverted back to water, save one problem: Their target was now airborne, above the cross fire of ice senbon and already deploying his counter-attack. The missing nin didn't have time for an in depth analysis. All he realized was that his target had evaded and shuriken were raining down upon him.

Haku somersaulted out of the volley before hand springing across the bridge as steel pinged around him, sliding to a halt as the attack subsided. His mask hid the surprise on his face as Sasuke's voice drifted to his ears.

"You're pretty slow." The nukenin whirled around to face his attacker, his needles come up to block as he caught the Uchiha's smirk. "From now on, _you_ will only be able to run from _my _attacks."

The masked nin's guard came up as he spun, blocking Sasuke's first attack with his forearm, then was forced down as he evaded the kunai its hand bore. He barely missed his head being stabbed by the dagger point the genin's right hand had flipped. The evasion came at a price and completely left Haku's face open to the spinning kick that was already winding up.

The majority of its impact was ablated by the mask he wore, but Haku was forced to deal with the kinetic energy it imparted, flying almost uncontrollably backwards before flipping upright and skidding to a halt next to his patron. The missing nin's attention was completely focused on the bothersome smirk Sasuke wore.

"Looks like I have the speed advantage."

"I can't have you underestimating my team by calling them brats. Sasuke is Leaf Village's number one rookie." Kakashi lent his own opinion to the fight in progress, hoping for some leverage to dissuade the dangerous pair from their objective behind him. "Sakura is the brightest in the village and..." The Team Seven leader paused, looking a tad put out. "And the other one is the show-off, hyperactive, number one loudest ninja in the village."

There was a brief moment of silence before the cloth wrapped visage of Zabuza Momochi began to shake with an evil chuckle. He cast a glance over to his partner, who had fully recovered from the hit. "Haku, do you realize? At this rate we'll be driven back."

"Yeah." Cold air seemed to engulf the bridge as the younger nin nodded. Sasuke watched as a frigid aura enveloped the kunoichi. "We can't have that."

The telltale crackle of ice forming reached the Uchiha heir's ears and he whirled around to watch a perfect crystalline sheet reflect his stunned expression. It was instantly followed by several more, and after twenty he stopped counting. They surrounded him entirely and the situation became crystal clear.

He had been completely cut off.

By the time Naruto Uzumaki arrived on scene he was lamenting the fact that he was missing yet _another _super cool fight, complete with special techniques as evidenced by the ice mirror array that was apparently kicking Sasuke's ass. While he wasn't horribly adverse to that, per say, it was that snobbish missing nin doing the ass kicking and nobody was going to slap the blonde's rival around _but him_.

The element of surprise was his and he held on to it for as long as possible, sneaking along the bridge embankment until he could close to decisive range, if only because the asshole was _just that fast_. He would never admit it to another person alive, but anybody that could take the stuck up Uchiha apart so thoroughly bore watching, so he took his time, wincing with every blow his rival took. He wanted to charge in right there, but his experience with the bigger missing nin next to Kakashi had made one thing exceptionally clear: A head on assault was likely to fail just as badly as it had before with the Zabuza guy. He needed an opening and he surprise.

Naruto grinned from his concealment. Surprises were what he did _best_.

Even as he worked on the problem, Sakura herself was the one to provide the opening as she flung a kunai in at the lightning fast missing nin. _This is it._Naruto reached for his own star even as his target flashed through the mirrors to intercept Sakura's blade, throwing his own with just enough spin to where it would curve into his opponent from a different angle. Then he moved. Sakura's kunai was expertly deflected, but blonde's star had caught Haku by surprise, forcing him to jerk back or risk taking Naruto's steel in the neck.

It also diverted precious attention from the real threat as the genin's smoke tag detonated, screening his flying kick that in turn slammed hard into the side of the missing nin's face. Its force completely removed the nukenin from the mirror and sent him tumbling to the ground. Haku shook the sparkles away from his vision and watched the cloud of smoke clear to reveal a familiar blond haired genin.

"_Naruto Uzumaki has finally arrived!"_

* * *

"**T**ell me he really didn't say that." Ranma glared at the boy, who started to become indignant with the accusation. Zabuza merely nodded and the redhead shook her head in disappointment. She turned to the girls eagerly listening to the story around them.

"New rule." She began in an irritated tone. "No fancy speeches during the fight."

"Sensei?" Tenten questioned, looking for more detail. Ranma happily provided it as she stared a hole in the boy.

"No flashy entrances." Ranma elaborated, continuing to emote annoyance. "No fancy speeches about love and justice. Don't hold a goddamn conversation with them unless you're usin' it to distract 'em. You're there to kick their ass, not have a tea party, got it?"

"Yes Sensei!" All three girls piped, leaving the boy to grumble his disparagement.

The Mist missing nin eyed the Team Thirteen Leader with ominous amusement. "I'm liking you already."

* * *

**A**nother series of blows slammed into Naruto, doubling him over before moving on to Sasuke. Haku's combinations slammed into him as well and both genin tumbled to the ground within the kill zone known as the Makyō Hyōshō. Naruto's gaze flashed from one mirror to the other, desperately trying to divine the real source of the attacks.

"Where's the real one?" He hollered his frustration as he diverted a trickle of blood from his forehead as to not cloud up his vision. One of the mirrors responded helpfully.

"Trying to follow with your eyes is impossible." A reflection taunted. "You will never be able to catch me."

"Bah!" Naruto huffed. Words like impossible and never simply didn't register for the boy and he formed the initial seal of his forbidden technique. "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

Nearly a dozen shadow clones formed in that instant with a single goal in mind: To saturate the missing nin's ability to attack and take the mirrors out through simultaneous brute force. Every one of them leaped for a mirror and pulled back for an ice shattering punch in spite of Sasuke's yell to pull them back. The clones had come to a surprise to Haku as well, but posed no real threat. He threaded through them in an impossible blur, gutting every last clone in seconds before punishing their originator. The real Naruto tumbled hard to the earth once more as the clones were dispersed into wisps of smoke.

"This jutsu uses the mirror's reflection to transport me." An image of the missing nin explained as Naruto returned to his position beside Sasuke; beaten but still combat functional. "From my point of view, you seem to be moving in slow motion."

For Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, all his explanation boiled down was another beat down as both tried again and again to pin their opponent to a single mirror or even destroy the mirrors themselves, but to no avail. Fire hadn't worked. He was too fast to even set up with clones. The fight was a forgone conclusion for Haku, who had up until this point used the absolute minimum amount of force necessary to neutralize the pair of genin.

Soon they would either tire or pass out from blood loss, at which point he could join his master and dispatch the Copy Cat ninja, and then the client. Or vice versa, whichever opportunity opened up first. But the blonde's partner was getting faster. _That _was a concern.

"You move well." Haku admitted from the myriad of reflections surrounding Sasuke and Naruto. "But this time I'll stop you."

_He's coming, _Sasuke realized. Naruto groaned and fought to stand. That was an oddity in and of itself. The nin had just admitted he was the more dangerous opponent, but seemed to be saving the more punishing blows for Naruto. The last Uchiha shoved the anomaly to the back of his mind and centered himself in preparation for the impending attack. _Calm down. Concentrate._

He glanced over to Naruto, who was pulled a senbon from his leg. "Any moment now."

"And I was hoping to save this one for the guy with the big sword." Naruto panted and tried to smile in spite of the pain, pulling another two senbon from his arms.

"Oh?" The missing nin questioned and readied his final attack. It was time Naruto learned what he would have to do to survive in the real world and protect those special to him. "Do you think you can stop me?"

"If you can keep this asshole off me, we'll show him something he'll never forget." Naruto favored Sasuke with a tight grin. The Uchiha looked at the cut up blond skeptically, then produced his own smirk.

"Make it quick, dobe."

No sooner did he say the words than did one of the mirror images distort, blurring through open air. Sasuke saw it this time and bolted right, parrying the needle point that predictably targeted Naruto even as the blond genin composed their mutual counterattack.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

Sasuke was about to kill his teammate himself until he realized that the clones had actually manifested themselves _outside_the mirror array. Still, it took all his effort not to stab the blond for what was going to be a predictable outcome. They would rush the mirrors from the outside instead of in and get annihilated just as they had before.

Even his opponent, still wallowing in surprise with the Sasuke's parry, couldn't help but to be disappointed with Naruto's maneuver. It was barely a credible threat regardless of how many the blond conjured, so he focused on the more pressing issue: The Uchiha's _eyes_. They had contracted slightly and now were almost completely red, save the tomoe that now sat in their circumference. _The Sharingan!_

He would have to end this _now._

"DO IT!" Naruto yelled, and the clones began to close. Haku ignored the external threat and targeted Sasuke directly, plummeting in at his maximum velocity from a mirror on his left flank. Steel whined as another needle was deflected by Sasuke's kunai, forcing the missing Mist nin to switch his attack vector, sweeping in once more. Sasuke sidestepped the blurring strike, but barely. Meanwhile the clones closed.

Haku was about to execute his next attack when he noticed something unusual. The clones hadn't charged his ice mirrors. Instead they were circling it as if to gain some sort of positional advantage, but still closing in an ever shrinking circle. Something about their movement was just as ominous as the Sharingan boy, and a salvo of ice senbon formed between the nin's fingers to end the secondary threat.

Haku blurred once more.

Naruto Uzumaki had called into existence no less than twenty two clones the bled hot chakra into the air. Five of them died outright as corresponding needle points punched through their chakra heads. Haku then lanced through the array, this time managing to tag the real Naruto, who spun with the hard impact to his face, but missed Sasuke on the same pass due to a last minute roll out on his target's behalf. Haku hit the next mirror and deployed more senbon to the array's external defense, destroying another eight clones in explosive puffs of smoke as they continued to close in on their decidedly odd circular attack path. It didn't matter.

This time Haku changed targets, feinting through a mirror to attack Naruto, but cutting the leap short to divert to another, reappearing on Sasuke's flank. Two needles found a pair of pressure points, dropping the boy in partial victory. The damn sharingan had _still_seen the attack and reduced the original number of five, forcing him to abandon three to the ground or risk becoming decisively engaged.

Likewise the clones, he observed. The real Leaf nin weren't going anywhere. It was time to deal with the external threat _now_. Haku flicked to the north mirror and loosed more senbon, killing three more of the shadow clones outright and another two from the west mirror. Haku glanced back to the center to find the blond annoyance at the center of his array standing warily, but confidently as the remaining bunshin closed their trap.

_Four more clones._ Haku shifted back to the west mirror and dispatched two more as they closed their circle to within five meters. _Two left_. Even though they were on opposite sides of the of his technique, the nin had more than enough speed to deal with them both. Northwest mirror. This particular clone actually looked surprised that it had been targeted and the ice user bracketed it with a head shot. _Back to the south mirror._This particular clone looked as determined as its counterpart to close the gap, but still didn't look like it intended to throw a solid blow into a mirror. Even more disconcerting, the wind began to gust around him, seemingly to accompany the last shadow clone. Whatever the intention, it no longer matter and Haku flicked the needle shiruken. The clone exploded...

...Just not the one he intended.

Another clone dropped out of nowhere and took the needle in the chest, allowing the final clone a triumphant grin as it touched a mirror. Haku shot look back at the Naruto in the center, who sported the same triumphant grin, then yelled his victory cry.

**"**_**HIRYU SHOTEN HA!"**_

Naruto punched his fist skyward and the wind that had accompanied the clones hot spiral suddenly clamped down around them and immediately tightened into a chakra born tornado. Naruto's clones had created the hot portion of the technique, bleeding chakra and anger into the spiral they traced. Haku's mirrors supplied the cold and became the first casualty as the dragon's spiral tightened around the real Naruto. Mirrors cracked and shattered, forcing the missing nin to abandon one sheet after another to avoid the sudden whirlwind of destruction. Twenty mirrors shattered in seconds and the fifth jump was Haku's last mistake. The mirror of ice cracked and shattered, ejecting the missing nin into a tornado that immediately snapped him up into a vortex of wind and razor ice.

The crushing disorientation built into the technique would have been more than enough to render the young nukenin senseless, but Haku had lent his own lethal twist to the twister. Ice daggers cut into the lightly armored ninja as he was whipped through the Hiryu Shoten Ha's coils. Haku took dozens of stab wounds within the first fifteen seconds of his ensnarement and by the time he had reached the technique's terminal altitude, had suffered from being impaled more than forty times.

And he still had yet to hit the ground.

Sasuke tracked the nin's aerial progress in complete disbelief as their opponent was sucked up into the tempest, cut open and discarded at high speed via a technique conjured by the blond labeled 'last in class'. With its catalyst destroyed, the tornado began to die off, leaving the pair of Konoha genin to watch as Haku plunged to the earth, crashing into the ground in a manner every bit as spectacular as Naruto had witnessed with Neji Hyuuga. Sasuke, with his newly born sharingan, winced with the devastating impact and scanned the resultant cloud of dust and debris for anything that might indicate retaliation. Everybody stared now, in fact, and he was beginning to doubt whether or not the nukenin had even survived.

Zabuza's wide eyed gaze flicked from Kakashi to Naruto, where it lingered for several moments before switching to the drifting cloud of debris that had taken a good chunk out the bridge itself with Haku's impact. His jaw clenched as he prepared to make his move, only to watch as Kakashi raised the Hitai-ite covering his left eye, shaking his head. The assassin's gaze narrowed dangerously on the jounin. "I _will pass_."

"You will not." Kakashi replied, but seemed to divine his meaning regardless of the threat. He called the pink haired girl at his back to attention without looking back at her. "Sakura. Check to see if he's still alive through that. Report back."

The genin nodded and abandoned Tazuna, running off toward the now settled crater at a sprint. After several minutes, she called back to him. "Breathing, but she's... He's a mess! Deep cuts and massive trauma!"

"Let. Me_. Pass_." Zabuza growled, his muscles tensing. Kakashi stood his ground.

"Even if I did, that technique was too powerful." The Team Seven leader commented even as a portion of his brain wondered how his student had obtained something that powerful. "Your apprentice will need advanced medical assistance that I doubt you or your employer can provide."

He watched the missing Mist nin's jaw clench through the wrapped cloth mask, but he remained stationary. "Continue."

"Abandon your mission. Remand yourself to my custody." Kakashi Hatake ordered, his tone leaving no room to bargain. "Your future is death without the first condition and he will most certainly die without the second."

"'My future is death.'" Zabuza parroted in a mocking tone. "Don't be stupid. Haku is a tool, nothing more. Worth even less now that-"

The man glanced over Kakashi's shoulder at the assembling crowd of assorted ruffians and samurai for hire. Kakashi spared a glance to find the same mob, headed by a shorter man wearing black shades to match his black suit.

"Gatou?" Zabuza's frown was rendered largely invisible by his gauze mask. Something about the composition of the mob gave him a bad feeling. The feeling itself screamed that he was about to get screwed. "Why are you here? And what's with all these men?"

"The plan has changed." The short business tycoon chuckled evilly, causing his spiky white mane to quiver like a plant. "Actually, I had planned to do this from the very beginning."

_"__What?"_

"Zabuza," He continued, his gremlin like smile growing. "I'm going to have to kill you here. After all, I never actually planned to pay you."

"Is that right?" The nukenin's killing intent focused on the suit and Kakashi stepped out of his way in absolute understanding, shaking his head. A thug and his band of undisciplined mercenaries were about to try to eliminate a missing nin? One of Zabuza's caliber? It almost made Kakashi want to laugh out loud. Or cry.

_They didn't have a goddamn chance._

* * *

**R**anma Saotome stared at the blond tagalong thoughtfully, her glance occasionally flicking to the unmasked mercenary standing idly by through the story's telling. She couldn't help but to marvel. The kid had reverse engineered a Hiryu Shoten Ha using _shadow clones_, no opponent necessary. Anybody could trace the spiral and piss an opponent off, but to revise it _like that?_

_Last in class my ass_, she shook her head mentally and asked the question on the tip of her tongue. "How big was the spiral?"

"Fifteen, twenty meters I think," Naruto volunteered and could all but see the redhead making calculations based on personal experience.

Twenty meters to spin it up with nearly twenty more heat sources and a strong cold catalyst to provide the fuel. _And razor ice_, she added, and all but shivered as Ranma imagined the effect herself. She had considered combining it with a breaking point for nearly the same deadly affect, but never really had a reason to put the hybrid technique into use. Now she had a firsthand account of what its potential truly was. Two words came to mind: _Lethal_ and _frightening_.

"Yeah, that would do it." she mumbled, marveling at the destructive potential for what was supposed to be a defensive technique. Her next question was for Zabuza. "Kid doing okay?"

"The medics say he is stabilized." The former mist nin eyed the petite girl curiously while it was obvious to her that this Haku had progressed from tool to something more in their journey back to the village. She'd pump Naruto for more information on that later. The nin cocked his head, still staring at her. "You're an odd one. You really taught the brat here that move?"

"Odd? I ain't the one with his teeth filed down." Ranma snorted, causing the nin to smirk. "But yeah. Tell your kid not to lace the tornado with ice next time and he should be fine."

Two masked nin suddenly blurred into existence behind the assassin, causing him only mild interest versus his focus on the unusual girl. "Momochi, Zabuza. It is time for your debriefing."

"Such a polite word for interrogation. Very well." The man chuckled darkly. He turned to accompany them, but then glanced back to Ranma in pause. "I'm sure my Haku will seek you out as well."

Ranma cocked her head as the newly formed trio walked off, unsure if that had been a threat or not.

* * *

**T**he Third Hokage of Konoha almost wanted to cry upon seeing Kurenai in his office so soon, carrying an all too familiar manila folder in hand. He was still dealing with the outcome of the Zabuza debrief and Saotome's involvement in _that_, however indirect. Now Kurenai Yuhi stood patiently before him, and he couldn't help but to cast her a dull look as he set his pipe back to the tray on his desk. "A bit early for the weekly Saotome report, is it not?"

"Yes Hokage-sama." The red eyed nin nodded and set the folder on his desk. He didn't even bother opening it and instead decided to pursue his own topic of concern.

"I don't suppose you heard what happened with Hatake-san's mission, did you?" He asked wearily, leaning back in his seat. The woman shook her head and sighed. "Client fabrication. Claimed and paid for a class C escort mission when it was easily a class A bodyguard assassination type."

Kurenai blinked. Clients understating their needs wasn't all too uncommon, but there was a huge gulf in the fee and requirements necessary to take on an A Class. It was also something that could get the customer banned for life or turned over to Fire Country officials. With those facts firmly in mind, she could only think of one question to ask.

"Casualties?"

"Surprisingly, none." Sarutobi shook his head, taking a long stare at the manila folder she had set before him. "Mostly due to Hatake-san, of course. Sasuke-kun performed rather well, according to him, which undoubtedly helped."

Something about the Hokage's tone set Kurenai on edge. "But...?"

"Then there was Naruto-kun." Hiruzen folded his hands at his lips, staring across at the Jounin. "Does the Hiryu Shoten Ha technique ring any bells?"

"I can't say that it-" The Team Eight Jounin stopped mid sentence as she remembered the name from the very evaluation she had overseen, and instantly frowned upon making the connection. "What about it?"

"Apparently Saotome-san saw fit to teach it to young Naruto." Sarutobi stated in a matter of fact tone. "I'm not sure whether to be angry or pleased, since it apparently proved decisive to the outcome of the mission."

"And that outcome was?" Kurenai advanced, unsure as to whether she even wanted to ask the question.

"The neutralization of the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Momochi, Zabuza's apprentice." He outlined, tapping on the other folder containing the mission debrief inhabiting his desk. Kurenai's eyes widened as she placed the name of the missing nin. "Naruto used the technique to disable a high chuunin with access to an Ice bloodline. As a result, the opportunity arose to safely allow Zabuza to surrender in exchange for the boy's medical attention. Both are in custody as we speak."

Kurenai couldn't stop blinking. It certainly sounded like a net gain in spite of the threat Zabuza represented, at least until Sarutobi put it another way. "Unfortunately I now have the distinct pleasure of explaining to the council why Uzumaki is in possession of two potentially devastating techniques he shouldn't have instead of just one."

"Ranma assured me that the technique was defense oriented..." The red eyed kunoichi's voice trailed off, and Sarutobi cocked his head thoughtfully.

"Hmmm, that would appear to be in line with the debrief then," The Third nodded. "The apprentice had Naruto and Sasuke pinned down using his ice bloodline. Saotome's counter effectively shattered it, but nearly cost the apprentice his life."

"I see." She replied softly, suddenly reminded of the girls drawing spirals in on a practice range blindfolded. "I believe he is teaching the same technique to his team."

The Professor remained silent for a moment, contemplating the observation. After a few seonds, his hand returned to the pipe that had sat idle and brought it up to his lips for a puff. "I see no reason not to allow it, but please pass along the we would appreciate him to be more discriminating in the dissemination of powerful techniques such as the one I'm looking at."

"I will do so."

"Very well then," He nodded, somewhat satisfied with the outcome of every angle concerning the Wave Mission. No casualties, an accomplished mission, promise of restitution for an appropriately ranked mission and two unexpected acquisitions; one easily ANBU ranked and the other harboring an ultra rare bloodline. Sarutobi glanced back up to the Jounin. "Now that I've got that out of my system, I believe your report is early?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," She replied in a tone that was all business. "I have concerns regarding Saotome's future within the village and our ability to fully utilize his skills in any capacity."

_That_caused the Hokage pause. "It would almost sound as if you're seriously considering pulling the plug on him yourself."

"I am, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi merely nodded, setting the pipe aside once more. "Reasons?"

"His gender dysphasia will interfere with his ability to face any potential threats he may face outside the village seriously." She outlined, as if building a case against her charge. "Specifically, my concerns revolve around SAS protocols."

"Ah." The Third's voice suddenly turned bland. "I would assume that the 'Little Kunoichi Talk' didn't go so well."

"It did not." She answered with a bit of frost. "He would not even consider the possibility after explaining the necessity, risks and consequences. Pain and psychological torture I am quite certain he can handle. Other physical methods, on the other hand..."

The Hokage simply nodded. He had seen the affects of that particular torture method during the last war. The end result was almost always a mindless, subservient shell that had only one goal in life. They were also female kunoichi more often than not, and picking up the psychological pieces from that particular sort of break was never pretty and rarely successful. Interrogations always left scars. That particular form was no less brutal than the others, but were more often than not magnitudes more insidious since it toyed with one of the most basic human instincts.

"And without at least rudimentary safeguards, we could never trust him in the field." He sighed, contemplating the dilemma himself. The child showed promise, and while certain things could be overlooked... "Options?"

"I have only one." Kurenai features suddenly became unreadable, causing the Hokage to arch a skeptical eyebrow. "The authorization form is in the folder."

"Indeed." Hiruzen felt cold anticipation creep up his spine and he opened the folder and began to read the first page. His gaze flicked back up to Kurenai after a minute of reading. "And you've exhausted all other avenues?"

"I have Hokage-sama." She replied plainly.

"This will either work or it will not, but the consequences for the latter _will be _disastrous." He replied seriously, holding the kunoichi with his gaze. "I will authorize this, but only with his full and complete consent. Also ensure that he is aware that his refusal means his dismissal from service until such time as he voluntarily completes SAS. There are no other avenues of appeal."

Kurenai watched the Hokage dip a fine tipped brush into a nearby inkwell to sign the document. He closed the folder and slid it back to the woman. "Best of luck. I suspect you'll need it."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," She replied with an abbreviated bow. "I suspect you're right."

* * *

"**A**nd next time we put your arm in a sling, we very well expect you not to practice or spar." A med nin with hair color vaguely reminiscent of Akane's darker blue admonished while unwrapping Ranma's left arm. The black haired pigtailed boy affected an innocent whistle from the bed he sat upon, prompting the woman to simply roll her eyes. "Likewise, I would suggest a prohibition from whatever taijutsu technique that tore at the ligaments to begin with. Repeated exposure to such stress can't-"

A small knock at the office door drew both of their attention, and they watched a pale, red eyed jounin peek into the room. The mednin immediately smiled. "What can I do for you , Yuhi-san?"

"Official business, I'm afraid," Kurenai favored the woman with a pleasant, if manufactured smile. Ranma simply looked on curiously as the nurse finished up. "Will she be up to it?"

"He _and _she are fine," The nin nodded with mild humor as she gathered the spent sling that had held the the martial artist's left arm immobile for the better part of a week. "Heals quickly and no signs of residual trauma."

"Told ya so," The red haired girl smirked. The nurse merely nodded.

"So you did." She replied, brushing a lock of her long hair away with a smile, then turned back to the red eyed kunoichi. "And with that, I'll leave you to your business."

"Actually, if you could stay a moment longer." Kurenai requested, causing the mednin to pause. She glanced back as the Team Eight lead continued. The pale woman pulled a scroll from her combat vest. "I'll need you present if there are any complications, Suki-chan."

The nin's eyebrow raised curiously, but she nodded. The team lead then turned back to Ranma and handed him the scroll. "As of this moment, you are suspended from active duty; including all training activities until one one of two conditions are met: One, submit yourself for SAS training within one week of this notification..."

Ranma favored the woman before her with a bland look, then shook his head. "Don't need it, ain't gonna happen."

"...Second," Kurenai continued, having fully expected that very response. "Undergo genjutsu susceptibility evaluation as administered by myself. There are no avenues of appeal should you refuse per the Hokage himself."

"And I thought we agreed I was workin' on that," Ranma commented testily, refusing to back down from the woman's stare.

"No counter is fool proof and you are refusing the instruction to guard against that eventuality." She stated, likewise refusing to give an inch. "If you break here, you will break out there."

A roguish grin crawled across Ranma's face. "Is that a challenge, Yuhi-san?"

"If you must," She returned without enthusiasm, then motioned to the scroll in Ranma's hand. "That is a waiver of liability. Read and agree to the contents. Odoko-san will bear witness."

Ranma looked from Kurenai to the nurse that had tended to her arm and shrugged, returning her attention to the scroll. The redhead unfurled it and began to scan the contents while mumbling allowed. "...release exam practitioner from any and all trauma associated... Immediate dismissal from Konoha Shinobi Corps... Responsible for medical assistance as outline in section five 'b' of the training and benefits manual..." Ranma glanced up at the pale kunoichi. "Sounds like my old man's training."

"Then you accept?"

"Sure, why not?" The martial artist shrugged without care. "As long as you stop pestering me about this stuff when I win."

"Odoko-san?" Kurenai turned to the waiting nurse, who in turn nodded herself.

"I bear witness." Suki replied with a remarkably serious expression, and Kurenai turned back to Ranma.

"Would you like time to prepare?" She asked, watching as the redhead's boredom persisted. The girl's very arrogance helped to marginally relieve a portion of the guilt the kunoichi was feeling for what she was about to subject the child to.

"Let's just get it over with." Ranma stated, hopping off the bed to get ready. "Gettin' tired of all these challenges to my competence and crap."

"So be it." Ranma watched Kurenai clasp her hands together as they signed through a rapid set of seals. _Dog, snake, rabbit, snake, dragon, _the martial artist noted the seals as the instructor's hands flashed through them. The instructor signed seven total and executed the technique by name in a soft utterance.

"_Kuroi Yume."_

_Black what?_Ranma felt the chakra wash over her and the world wavered. The last thing she would remember seeing was the room suddenly tipping over upon its side before darkness claimed her existence.

* * *

**Author's Notes- **This one is a bit shorter length than usual, but the stopping point felt natural and I would be forcing more length just for the sake of word count. That said, chapter 13 will be dealing with matters of a more adult nature. I'll post a foreword since not everybody reads the ANs. I'll also have to make sure to bump the next chapter's rating up because of it.

**SAS Training; **_Something I had to address this at some point. The reasoning should be pretty clear and Naruto ninja are shown to be hardcore. As such, Psychological and physical torture are all but assumed, and there are a number of tools to be used by the less scrupulous villages in that direction. I don't expect the entire fic to maintain this graphic level, rest assured, nor is it a prelude to going full ranma!chan, rabble rabble.__  
_  
**Haku Power: **_Obvious divergence. More details next chapter._

**HSH:** _Per the previous ANs, a Hiryu Shoten Ha runs off the most basic of elemental catalysts: Hot and Cold. Haku provided the cold, clones provided the heat. Taken further, if Naruto can master the Soul of Ice, he should be able to spawn this technique without the need of an opponent simply using variable temperature clones. __  
_  
**Flying Water Needles**_**;**__ Looking at the manga, I'm unclear as to whether Haku's tech is water or ice and if water, how it is expected to achieve lethal penetration. Several of my prereaders default it to a hybrid ice water technique, which is good enough for me. _

**Naruto, stage right**; _When Naruto enters the bridge scene, he takes Haku by complete surprise with his opening attack, nearly taking him out with a head shot. Say what you will about the kid being an overly obvious loudmouth, but the he has something going on; to the point where two jounin don't even notice him close in on the battle. Because of that, I'm giving him more credit to his methodology than most probably would._

**Special thanks;** _**Dragon Dagger, Materia Blade**__ and __**DCG.**__ Any errors persisting after them are my sole responsibility. Thanks to them and all you awesome readers out there._


	13. Chapter 13

**Tales of the Foxcat  
**Chapter 13

_By Ozzallos_

**H**elplessness.

If there was a word Ranma Saotome, heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts would never use to describe himself, it was that. He was never helpless and there was always a way to achieve victory; even in the face of impossible odds. Sometimes it was a technique. Others it was the postponement of hostilities until a technique could be found. Often it required a liberal amount of ass kicking, but Ranma Saotome didn't lose and he was _never _helpless. He overcame. Adapted. Improvised.

The pigtailed boy rung his hand nervously as the roiling sickness in his stomach threatened to overcome him again.

Today, he had been helpless. Utterly powerless to stop the violation of his mind, and in turn his body. _Her _ body. _Both_. He knew the visions couldn't possibly have been real, but they were in every way that mattered. Formless agents asked him questions to which he did not have answers to and then the interrogation began. Ranma clenched his jaw with the fury that boiled through the disgust and horror. That by itself was excruciating, but when he refused to break they had switched to alternate methods. Even worse, they had made him _like _it. He couldn't stop their efforts in any meaningful way and by the time they were done he had happily told them anything they wanted to know; every little detail. Every dark secret. Obeyed their every command.

A warm fuzzy contentment wrapped around him like a blanket in the knowledge that he had been such an obedient little-

_"DAMMIT!" _Ranma's fist came down, crushing the steel cart next to his bed while causing the nurse in close proximity to cringe. Kurenai Yuhi looked concerned by the reaction but remained still, watching as the boy pulled his hands out of the crumpled remains of the cart while staring at his hands once more.

_Genjutsu trauma._

The symptoms were easy enough to recognized as a practitioner of the art and at the moment Kurenai was more than willing to let the martial artist stew until he could sort things out for himself. Still, it was clearly obvious she had underestimated the potency of her own technique on the child. She watched Ranma reach for one of two pitchers he had demanded after regaining consciousness and splashed himself into a female before lapsing back into the thousand yard stare at her hands. The pigtailed girl had already splashed herself back and forth several times, as if trying to decide which body were the lesser of evils. Any victory the Kurenai may have felt in smashing through the redhead's ego had evaporated as she witnessed the results of her handiwork.

_'Perhaps too overzealous in my efforts?' _She queried herself, but shook her head mentally. Perhaps, but this was worse. Of course the girl had next to no genjutsu resistance and she had meant to highlight that fact, but this... The med nin cast a speculative glance back at her before moving in. The girl didn't seem to notice as Doctor Odoka pressed a stethoscope to her back and probed several points before retrieving it.

"Heart rate elevated, but not unexpectedly so. Breathing likewise." She reported and let the device hang from her neck. Her now empty hands moved in under the blue silk shirt, tracing her fingers along Ranma's back to probe the girl's major tenketsu by touch, if not sight. "His... her chakra is spiky. Given her physiology, I'm not sure what that means exactly, but it's a sharp contrast to what we had before she started."

Kurenai merely nodded and watched the girl shiver; her eyes fluttering closed with a purr and a pleasant smile that remained for almost five seconds before snapping open with a readily apparent frown. The frown instantly degenerated into a near snarl that left a tick on the redhead's cheek. The pale kunoichi had her own theories as to the child's genjutsu vulnerabilities and explaining them would serve as good a distraction as any for her protégé. She stepped over to the girl and a pair of angry blue eyes snapped up to meet her presence. "I believe I might have a-"

"Get. _Out_." Ranma growled as a sickly greenish-black glow began to boil off the girl. The hand grasping the bed frame and it creaked with sound, then began to curl in her grip. The sight instantly reminded Kurenai of the girl's strength in spite of her thirteen year old frame. The tick became more pronounced and Ranma sought to make her demand crystal clear. "_Now._"

"Now." The med nin nodded, overriding any attempt Kurenai might have made to rationalize what had happened. The kunoichi seemed to stand in place for a moment until her partner took the kunoichi's arm gently and led her back to the door, insistently shooing her through the threshold. Doctor Suki paused afterward, turning back to the trembling martial artist. "We'll have somebody posted at the door should you need anything."

The trembling remained but a single, focused nod accompanied it. The door closed, sealing the martial artist alone and the blue haired med-nin paused outside, taking a deep breath. After a moment she shook her head, eyeing Kurenai directly. "What the hell did you do to her, Yuhi? Her reactions are something I'd expect from a full up combat genjutsu, not some test."

"And that's all it should have been," The red and white clad ninja pinched the bridge of her nose. She opened her mouth to start anew when something suddenly a furious scream reverberated through the door, followed by a devastating crash. Kurenai winced with the impact. All it should have been was the suggestion of helplessness. Confinement. The victim's mind would take care of the rest, but her reaction... The black haired nin cut the introspective off, returning to the here and now. "The suggestion of sexual torture would have been implied from the beginning, of course. That was the point, but to have it blow up this badly would suggest something entirely different."

"A deep seated insecurity?" The doctor theorized as she tucked the stethoscope into one of her white lab coats' deep pockets. Another impact and the sound of something being crushed reverberated through the door, causing her to cringe.

"It wouldn't be surprising with that bloodline, but even then I didn't give it that sort of power." Kurenai extrapolated as she worked the problem backwards. "For all I know it's the flat chakra she utilizes may have aggravated the technique."

_"Dammit, dammit, dammit!"_

Both women looked at the door. This time glass shattered from behind the barrier and the physician took a polite step away from the door. The kunoichi followed as Suki continued their conversation from a safer distance, favoring Kurenai with a no-nonsense look. "We will treat this just like we would a combat genjutsu trauma case. As attending physician I will insist on a full psyche evaluation once she has calmed down."

"Of course, Doctor," Kurenai nodded her agreement as the woman put her foot down further.

"I would also highly recommend you have a Hyuga in attendance as you explore the width and breadth of your protégé's chakra, especially during these sort of activities." The blue haired ninja advised. It was an advisement to which the kunoichi frowned.

"We'll...do our best," Kurenai temporized, remembering the last time they had solicited the clan head for his input. Hinata was barely adequate in the role and didn't have nearly the experience necessary to help them in what they were up against. She was about to elaborate on the challenges in that area when she cocked her head, noticing silence. The med nin stared at her curiously then looked at the door herself with growing concern.

"We had better-"

The kunoichi was already turning the handle to step into the room, only to find exactly what she had expected: One completely trashed room and no martial artist present. The open window was the obvious exit and the nin muttered a curse. '_This is not how it was supposed to go!' _Kurenai Yuhi chided herself as she whirled around, stepping around the physician and back into the hallway. "Keep watch to see if she returns. I have a report to make."

With that, the red eyed woman was gone down the sterile white hospital walkway at a brisk pace.

* * *

"**J**eez, I thought that yelling would never stop!" Naruto Uzumaki stared at the east wall of the hospital room where the muffled cacophony had originated. That, and the crashing of obvious property damage undoubtedly taking place within beyond their sight. The blond Jinchuuriki waited a moment longer, wondering if the ruckus would resume as it had for the last ten minutes. When it failed to materialize, he rolled his eyes, turning back to his bed ridden partner. "They must have some really psycho people in this hospital."

The bandage swathed nin lying before Naruto merely stared straight ahead, prompting the younger genin to frown at the lack of response. Intravenous fluid bags curled down from their stands into Haku's blanketed body while an EKG kept track of his vitals via more wiring. The boy's naturally pale complexion ensured that each and every one of the bruises he had sustained were clearly visible, causing Naruto further mental consternation.

"Aw, come on. You're still not holding that against me, are you?" Haku's sight remained focused on the wall beyond; the now thankfully silent wall beyond Naruto. Unfortunately, the ice nin was just as silent and the blonde's shoulders slumped. "Look, I said I was sorry already. I had no idea sensei's technique was going to be that bad." Silence dominated the room and the boy sighed. "I'll be back in a few hours to check up on you, alright?"

The lack of a response further disheartened Naruto as he turned to pick his orange jacket off the bed post. Sure, Haku had deserved the ass kicking at the time, but he was a good person that really didn't want to hurt anybody. Naruto hated to see that potential friendship go to waste, especially when he himself was in such dire need of them. With Ranma and the girls it wasn't so bad these days, but any-

"I failed."

Those two barely audible words stopped Naruto's sullen retreat from the room, causing him to turn back toward the only other occupant curiously. "You what?"

Haku still hadn't moved and the blond had to wonder if the words hadn't come from the room next door until the bedridden teen continued, his brown eyes tracking on Naruto for the first time. "A tool that fails in its function is worthless."

"Hey, don't-" Naruto was about to console his maybe friend; at least until the words actually processed through his brain. The end result was his face scrunching up in irritation. "Not this crap again."

The ice nin blinked at the reaction that was somewhat at odds with the boy standing over him; so much so that he actually turned his head to get a better view of the blonds contorted expression. "Crap?"

"Do you know what I had to listen to the entire time I was carrying you back?" Naruto stepped away from the bed and was now pacing the limited space of the room in clear agitation. He threw an annoyed glance back at the nin and began to mime his answer sarcastically. "He's a tool this. My tool failed that. He's worthless. Blah blah blah..."

Each refrain was another dagger slipped into Haku's soul until Naruto stopped by his bed with that same grumpy expression. "Well you know what I told him? I told him he was the tool and if he didn't shut up, I'd drop a tornado on his ass too!"

The pale black haired teen opened his mouth to interject but the blond in orange had built up a head of steam fueled by frustrated indignation. "He's your precious person and I won't let him throw that away! It's worth too much!"

Haku's eyes had widened fractionally with each sentence until silence finally settled back over the room. He watched his former adversaries' trembling frame slowly calm as the anger over reliving the discussion spent itself. Another moment slipped by unnoticed before Haku finally found the courage to speak.

"What... Did he say to that?"

"You're his precious person too." A small smile etched its way onto the blonde's face before it scrunched back up into exaggerated irritation. "Though it was like pulling teeth for him to admit. Pain in the ass."

"Momochi-san... is like that." Haku nodded slightly, now staring at the ceiling in wonder._ 'I'm... his precious person too?' _Naruto merely nodded with the sentiment, continuing on.

"Anyway, he told me to tell you to rest and that you'd both be staying in Konoha for a bit." Naruto relayed easily now that he was past the more emotionally volatile subject matter. "The old man told me to tell you that you're guests but please do not try to leave the village walls until things are sorted out or something like that."

Haku knew it was a polite way of saying "prisoner" even if the blond didn't realize it for himself, but he could abide; nor was it likely he would be attempting an escape anytime soon. He could feel the cuts winding up and down his body and even if he couldn't, the stained gauze wrapping along his visible flesh told the same story: He wasn't going anywhere for a while. Regardless, an internal glow warmed the ice nin. His special person had sacrificed his freedom for this.

He would be patient.

Three kilometers away, Haku's special person stood before an old man. Now in his sixties, the old man himself was hardly imposing on the surface, but the surface wasn't what stayed Zabuza Momochi's hand. Had the leader of the Konohagakure simply been in an old man, the odds would have certainly been in the nuke-nin's favor if it came down to dispatching him. Merely a desk and a handful of meters stood between him and the deed. No ANBU were present to ensure the village leader's safety and Zabuza had been allowed to retain his sword. The geezer's death would be a foregone conclusion...

...Except this wasn't simply an old geezer.

This particular old man was the very God of Shinobi himself and one of the few men that Zabuza would be hesitant to face in an open confrontation. As such, the very last place his hand was about to stray was to the hilt of the massive sword sheathed at his back. Instead he merely watched as the village leader's attention was fixed upon a notebook through which he would turn a page every few minutes or so until finally sighing, looking back up at the assassin standing warily before him. The penetrating stare lasted for a full thirty seconds before the Hokage merely shook his head.

"That could not have been your best idea."

Zabuza's eyes narrowed with hostility at the perceived insult. "Don't judge me, old man. I did what I had to for my village."

"You took up arms with crime lords and brigands." Sarutobi dismissed the justification outright, taking a puff from the long stem of his kiseru before continuing. "While I'll not debate the cause, yours is built on a foundation of blood; doomed to failure before it started."

"And what would you have me do, _Hokage_?" The Mist swordsman all but sneered Sarutobi's official title, turning away to pace the confines of the office. "Maybe ask him to end his tyranny over tea? Suggest that he step down out of common courtesy?" The sharp tooth nin turned back to Sarutobi with a cruel intensity glowing within his eyes. "No. I will have him. _By any means necessary_."

The Professor stared back at the imposing wall of muscle with a thoroughly bored look. "And how, exactly has that been working for you?"

The nuke-nin maintained his stare for a moment before dismissing the Hokage's doubts with a contemptuous sniff, leaving the older of the two to shake his head in dismay. "Regardless, you are apparently my problem now. Any suggestions as to what I should do with you?"

"Help me debase the bloodthirsty child thinking himself the Mizukage," Zabuza shrugged with indifference, but turned back to Sarutobi with a baleful look. "Or kill me, I don't care which. But hurt Haku and I shall hunt you through the afterlife and beyond."

The village leader studied the missing nin intently, seemingly impervious to the killing intent flowing through the man's gaze. He took another puff from his pipe before setting it aside to examine the notebook before him once more, then returned his attention that assassin. The slightest edge of a smile found its way to his aged lips, blunting Zabuza's fearsome countenance.

"Of that I have no doubt." The Hokage nodded, signing it with an ink tipped brush. "Consider this your parole until I figure out exactly what to do with you and your apprentice. Leave these walls or molest those I watch over and you will find your death to be quick and instantaneous, are we clear?"

The former mist nin stared warily upon the man, cocking his head as if unsure of the trap he was being led into or if there even was a trap to begin with. After several long seconds he produced a single terse nod then turned for the doorway, only to be stopped as he reached for the handle.

"And if you should want to discuss other alternatives to your _dilemma_, I will need information." Zabuza blinked and slowly turned back to Sarutobi. The old man's gaze bore steadily on him, hands folded at his chin. "_Detailed _information. Disposition of forces. Locations. Bloodlines. Secrets. Codes. _Everything_."

The swordsman now looked upon the Third with a mixture of doubt and intrigue, unsure of which he should address the village head with. "I won't turn Kirikagure into a puppet of the Leaf, old man."

"Nor would I expect you to." The Hokage merely nodded. "But you've already deemed outsiders necessary to your plans to overthrow the Mizukage and a stable regime is far more beneficial to us than what is present now. Think about it."

The nuke-nin's study continued for several more moments before he simply harrumphed and stepped through the doorway, leaving the Hokage to his thoughts. Just as he was about to reach for another scroll to be considered, a pale kunoichi with red eyes admitted herself into his office, all but causing the man to all but groan mentally.

The Saotome child was becoming more trouble than what he was worth.

* * *

**N**inja land was getting to be more trouble than it was worth.

That was the predominant mental theme coloring the thoughts of Ranma Saotome as he turned a corner and ducked off the main street into an alley. His destination...

_'...Fuck if I know,'_he thought bitterly, but continued to walk regardless. One thing was certain, however: He needed space. Mental space and physical space after what had happened. Space where he wouldn't be tempted to dispense an ass kicking in response to what he had just been subjected to.

Ninja land had certainly started out okay, Ryoga aside. It was almost a martial artists dream in some respects with techniques all but falling out of the sky and the discovery of chakra. Sure there was the impression that things were rough and tumble beyond the village walls, but none of that had chosen to visit itself upon him... Until now. Now Nerima was looking pretty damn good. Of course there were psychotic fiancées waiting for him back in Japan, but he could deal with those. The rivals?

'_Bring em on_,' Ranma snorted, already resolved to a shakedown once he got back. _If _he got back. That shadow of doubt always lingered in the back of his mind, but up until now it all hadn't seemed so bad... At least until Kurenai sensei had pulled her goddamn Jedi mind trick on him.

The very remembrance forced Ranma's walk out of rhythm as his psyche shivered in equal parts disgust and anticipation; the former caused by the latter. _'And damned if I didn't ask for it,'_he growled from the privacy of his own thoughts. It was tough to remain bitter at the woman in light of his own failure, but damned if that secret whisper somewhere in the back of his mind insisting that he should have just sat back and enjoyed it wasn't making it easy to. The martial artist growled back at the shadowy whisper and balled his fists, forcing himself back into a coordinated stride. While he didn't know exactly where the end destination was, the village walls were looking damn good at the mome-

"How unfortunate. Did the young hanyou bite off more than he could chew?"

The melodic female voice stopped Ranma in his tracks. His head swiveled up to find the orange haired kitsune lounging on the overhang above her, her shapely leg departing the high cut of her yukata to hang over the edge without care; like an overtly enticing placard for all the world to see. Slitted yellow eyes considered the Saotome with mirth. "Do not tell me the monkeylette's mind games shattered that horribly fragile psyche of yours already? I was just starting to enjoy our games together."

"Shut up, Fox." Ranma huffed and continued his walk. The kitsune kunoichi rocked up to stand then jumped down to the street behind her quarry to keep pace with a taunting smile.

"What games did she play within your mind, hmm?" The teenage avatar of Kyuubi leaned forward, her tone purposely condescending. "Did the monkey tell you a sad story? Perhaps called you names?" Ranma threw a glare back over his shoulder at her sweet smile, though she continued none the less. Her sarcasm darkened, however as the smile slipped into a colder line. "Or perhaps there was torture involved. The defilement of your mind. Perhaps your body as well, kit?"

Ranma stopped dead in his tracks and turned to favor the girl his apparent age with his own hardened glare. Her smile remained, but it held no humor and he had already lost patience for it. "What's your point, Fox?"

"Now do you see why I despise them so?" She hissed through the cold smile, allowing an edge of fang to slip between her lips. "They seek to control us, kit, these monkeys with their endlessly irritating jutsus and infernal bloodlines. Stamping them out would be a kindness to their under-evolved species."

"Yeah, sympathies from the under-evolved ape here." Ranma commented dryly and turned on the ball of his foot to leave when her voice stopped him once more.

"They will turn on you as well, little one." Kyuubi insisted direly, effectively halting the black haired boy even if he refused to turn around. "They will see you for what you are and what you have become... And then they will turn on _you _as readily as they turned on the blond whelp."

"'Zat right?" Ranma finally glanced back in a blase tone. "And just what do you think I am, huh?"

Both fangs made their appearance now as her lips turned upward into a distinctly predatory smile. "Why, family of course."

"Family?" Which told the martial artist absolutely nothing concerning the topic that she continually dangled before him, nor could he muster the energy to care at the deeper implications with his latest crisis only an hour old. Instead only dead humor found its way past his lips. "Sure, why not? You'll fit right in next ta the lazy panda and my katana chuckin' mother." Ranma shook his head with derisive mirth. "Sorry, but I got shit to do."

"And where shall you run to where they cannot find you child?" The kitsune regarded him with lazy skepticism to which Ranma simply shrugged.

"It ain't runnin'" the martial artist countered impatiently. "It's a strategic withdrawal."

"It's-"

A silver length flipped into Ranma's hand and slipped through the air in a blur, disincorporating the shadow clone avatar before it could utter another word. It thunked into the wall behind the evaporating cloud of chakra. Ranma reached to retrieve the kunai while regarding the space where Kyuubi formerly stood. After a moment of silent regard, the martial artist sighed, shaking his head.

"It's called gettin' while the gettin's good."

* * *

**U**p until a month ago Ino's Yamanaka's life goals were fairly well defined for a girl her age. There was, of course, the goal of carrying on the Yamanaka family legacy to become a skilled kunoichi. Part in parcel to that was learning the family art; a road she had already started down and could claim reasonable advancement. Sadly, both took a back seat toward a more hormonal goal that afflicted many teenage girls her age and it went by the name of Sasuke Uchiha; a goal that put her in direct conflict with that of her former best friend.

The last Uchiha was undeniably cool. Brooding silence wrapped around him like a cloak and if his good looks weren't enough, the man had skills. Who wouldn't want a piece of that?

_'Only most of the girls in our class,'_ she sniffed with the slightest edge of mirth. Sasuke Uchiha was a popular bandwagon to ride, which was why she was here, now, waiting alongside her two teammates for their sensei to arrive. There was only one way to negate Forehead Girl's proximity advantage and that was to be better than her in _every_ way. '_A better fighter and a better lover,'_she pined while a thin smile betrayed her inner thoughts.

It was also an ideology that had taken a severe hit over the last couple days however, and the smile flickered into a frown as she watched an orange clad figure no older than her walk along a path toward them, waving enthusiastically the entire time. Technically Naruto Uzumaki was not only an uninvited guest, but the complete anti-thesis of cool. 'Village idiot' was a term she would have used for her classmate prior to their special training, but even she had to admit it was one that was getting harder and harder to apply. Sure, he was immature for his age and yes, he advertised his bad fashion sense for all the world to see...

….but.

The blond haired girl watched as their uninvited team member cleared the embankment and began his decent down the concrete stairs into the practice range, waving and smiling like the village idiot he was. Or wasn't. It was a tough pill to swallow, but even she couldn't ignore the obvious when it was dropped her lap over and over and over again. Sakura had missed it and she was first in their class academically. Sasuke had missed it and he was first in the techniques portion. They had both missed it just as badly as she had.

_'Not everybody,' _Ino reminded herself as she focused on the boy crossing the field. Iruka had chosen to pass the prankster in spite of his horrible reputation. And Ranma-sensei, who didn't even take shit from Hyuga-san hadn't tossed him from a practice session yet in spite of not being a real kunoichi. And now that they had been training with him?

Prankster and village idiot didn't even scratch the surface.

While she may have trailed behind Sakura's book smarts and Sasuke's techniques, Ino knew people as a way of life and it had all but stunned her when she finally focused those social skills on their blond annoyance. Losers didn't graduate the academy. Idiots didn't learn S-Class techniques. Morons didn't attract the attention of somebody as skilled as their sensei and write-offs didn't defeat high ranked chunin with ultra rare ice bloodlines.

It almost made her want to cry at a professional level that she hadn't noticed it all until now.

None of that even took into account the burden he was carrying inside him. Another look at the wide smile plastered across Naruto's face as he closed the final meters worth of distance caused Ino to shake her head mentally. _'Could I do that?'_ she wondered while staring. _'Stay happy...? Hell, stay sane knowing that thing was inside me?'_

"Where's Saotome-sensei!?" the young man blurted, looking around the empty field obnoxiously as he joined the trio of kunoichi. "He better not be late! I want to learn more super-cool techniques!"

"She," Ten-Ten corrected while absently sharpening a kunai with a oval stone. She looked up to put a sharper point to her words. "When Saotome-sensei is training us, she is a _she_."

"Whatever," Naruto shrugged, but clasped his hands together. A familiar oppressive power began to build within the boy and spill across the visible spectrum in the form of an angry red aura. Hinata frowned slightly at the effort while Ten-Ten winced at the biting chakra that had settled around their immediate area. Ino averted her eyes as the red glare's intensity peaked, all but knowing what was to come next.

_"MINAKO NO JUTSU!"_

When the crimson had finally washed away it left behind something familiar and not so at the same time: A blond kunoichi slightly taller than Naruto's normal height but sporting the same hideous orange cloths now draping across her more slender frame. This Naruto was most definitely female and standing in a proud stance with a peace sign thrust out toward them. Ten-Ten merely sighed while shaking her head while Hinata's cocked hers, as if she never got tired of seeing the transformation.

For Ino, the word 'idiot' was just forming on lips, only to be stopped short by the revelations of the last two weeks; all culminating in the last half an hour of introspective. Much as she wanted to call their training tag-along an idiot, she just couldn't bring herself to voice the word aloud.

_'Guess it wouldn't hurt to be just a little nicer,'_She decided, rolling the concept around in her brain against what she knew of the boy. With a mental nod, a friendly smile found its way to her lips. "If you're that determined, I guess you can stay, goof ball."

"Yatta!" Naruto pumped her fist, all but springing forward to join the group. Something caused her to stop short, however, staring back and forth between the girls. "Ah, something wrong?"

_'Of course, there's something wrong,' _Ino rolled her eyes mentally._ 'You're a boy who just turned into a girl with a giant nine tailed...' _The Yamanaka heiress' thought process trailed off upon noticing the complete silence accompanying the question. She glanced right and found Ten-Ten blinking at her curiously, her sharpening kata frozen mid-slide. That, however, was nothing compared to the eerie, pupiless stare emanating from Hinata.

Ten-ten shrugged and returned to sharpening her kunai. "Guess all the clones do make good target practice."

Hinata continued to stare.

It was creeping Ino out frankly. First, just looking at those eyes for any length of time was a tad unsettling. Second and more importantly, the girl never maintained any sort of eye contact._ Ever._But here she was, staring a damn hole in her with no expression whatsoever. The Yamanaka girl suddenly felt the urge to be anywhere but where she was sitting now.

"Eh, heh..." Ino dissembled, trying desperately to break away from the impromptu and frankly unnerving staring match. It felt like the girl was looking _through her_. _'She probably is,'_the blond shivered with the idea and suddenly found it necessary to be somewhere else. She snatched at Naruto's hand, who in turn blinked in surprise. "Ah, let's go train! Right now!"

Ten-Ten's sharpening ground to a halt once more as she stared after Ino, who was now bodily pulling their very own neo-girl onto the practice range. For her part, Naruto was too confused to resist, or even notice Hinata's unblinking gaze track the pair in an almost mechanical fashion.

Ino Yamanaka risked a glance back as they stepped out onto the grass of the field and all but grimaced, finding those creepy, milky eyes still riveted upon her, then watched her blink as if the trance had been broken. Another blink and shy Hinata returned as if a switch had been flipped. She broke eye contact and produced a soft, shallow nod.

"T-training is fine."

_'Too wierd,'_Ino noted to herself and watched the Hyuuga heiress stand up from her position on the log to follow Ten-ten onto the field when she abruptly stopped and took a quick step back. The slight hiss of wind accompanied her movement and silver flashed between the girls.

_**THUNK.**_

All eyes snapped to the tree where the silver length had impaled itself and found a kunai embedded in the tree. A small note attached to the counterweight; the paper slip fluttering in the breeze. Ino's eyes were now almost bulging out of their sockets while Hinata turned to scrutinize the vector from whence it came.

"What..! What the hell!" Naruto pointed at the tree borne kunai with disbelief, though only Ten-ten appeared unfazed by its sudden appearance. She walked up and calmly pulled the blade from the tree.

"Saotome-sensei," She commented absently, separating the note from the kunai. She glanced back at the wondering looks and elaborated, flipping the blade in hand. "Her throwing style. They always land at vertical angles, too."

Ino simply nodded dumbly and watched with the rest of her team as Ten-ten read the note. _"Practice canceled for today. Take a break. -Ranma"_

Three girls and one neo-girl stood in silence for a moment, contemplating the message and its method of delivery until Ino broke the moment with a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God."

"WHAT?!" The blond kunoichi was nearly bowled over by the force of the counterpart's indignation. Naruto stomped over and snatched the note from Ten-ten's hand, leaving her blinking at empty space while the demon container ranted at the note itself. "She can't cancel practice! What about sparring?! What about the techniques!?"

"N-Naruto," Hinata stuttered, tentatively reaching for him even though she never closed within a meter of him. "Maybe-Maybe you should calm..."

"How am I gonna be an awesomer ninja if I can't-!"

"ALRIGHT ALEARDY!" Ino screamed, taking the note for herself and crumpling into a ball. Blue eyes flashed at the faux girl angrily. "It's not like we can't practice on our own, sheesh!"

The grumpy Yamanaka flicked the ball of paper at the Jinchuuriki, causing it to bounce off Naruto's forehead even as she stomped off further into the practice field. Ino stopped, noting nobody was following and threw them an angry glare. "Well?! What are you waiting for, dammit?!"

Naruto's mouth opened to protest some more until she actually processed her words. A huge smile enveloped his features. The transformed female practically leapt after her. "You're the best, Ino-chan!"

Ino grumbled something intelligible in response, but neither noticed the twitch that had subtly taken to Hinata's cheek as she stared after the pair, watching as Naruto began to square up with her sparring partner. Three hollow pops signaled the creation of three of her signature shadow clones who in turn arrayed themselves around Ino.

"Ready?"

Ino nodded and stepped into her own defensive stance while another portion of her intellect curiously noted that even though Naruto was currently in his female form, the clones themselves were male. She was just opening her mouth to point out the fact when one of the clones- the one on her left flank -raised its hand as if it were attending a class.

"I'm not."

Two male clones, one neo-girl and three kunoichi blinked with the advisement, wondering just why the clone wasn't ready to participate in the imminent hostilities when it smiled. Ino frowned as the smile was distinctly un-Naruto like. in fact, if she didn't know any better-

The third clone began to melt in upon itself in an all too familiar manner, causing every single girl to jump back and draw weapons while the previously male form solidified into a thirteen year old girl with luscious orange hair and slitted yellow eyes. She was smoothing out her black on crimson yakata when Naruto-chan stomped over indignantly. "Dammit! Stop stealing my clones!"

The most destructive force ever unleashed on Konoha ignored the blond girl entirely and turned to the three kunoichi instead, leveling a stern countenance upon them. "Your _sensei _is departing this pathetic excuse for a village."

It took a full twenty seconds for the statement to sink in and when it did, was met by gibbering and denial.

"Wha-what?!"  
"She can't-!  
"Impossible!"  
"LIAR!"

The last, most vehement protest was from the very person named her jailor and she turned lazily back toward Naruto with a drawl in her voice that conveyed her skepticism without question. "_Really _now?"

"Saotome sensei would never do that!" The blond insisted, folding her arms in a defiant gesture to which the kitsune tisked.

"And there you are so very wrong, ignorant hanyou," Kyuubi merely shook her head dispassionately. "In that, we are very much alike; the kit and I. Neither will be cajoled or controlled into monkey servitude."

"We... we don't believe you." Ten-ten mustered enough courage to confront the kitsune directly, only to be met with a contemptuous snort.

"And I care not." Kyuubi's attention returned to the girls with a lidded stare. "You will not believe these words and the shape shifting child will have gone, leaving you to wallow in despair."

"But.. but Saotome-sama..." Hinata mumbled, staring at the demonic fox girl with a shell shocked expression on her face. Kyuubi turned away from their group as if to affect disinterest.

"My last sight of her was moving through the side streets toward the east wall."

"We've got to stop her!" Ino blurted, spinning around to face the east wall barely visible above the practice range's retaining barrier.

"I... I agree!" Hinata agreed with a surprising amount of forcefulness. Ten-ten nodded her consent firmly and Naruto stepped over to join the group.

"I'm not about to let the best teacher in Konoha leave without a fight!" The neo-girl announced and this time Ten-ten threw her left fist into hand with a hard slap.

"Then it's time for Special Team 13's first real mission!" She turned back to her sisters in arms with a determined smile. "Operation: 'Sensei Retrieval!'"

"Then let's go!" Ino jumped into a sprint, followed by the others in a cloud of dust. Left behind was a single kitsune girl, watching after the Leaf Kunoichi team as they disappeared from sight.

A single fang accompanied the slight smile forming unseen along her lips.

* * *

**A**t over forty meters high the great defensive walls of Konoha were almost a monument unto themselves, protecting the inhabitants of the Hidden Village from threats both mundane and exotic. They were designed as proof against sieges and summons, though few would have expected they would face the dreaded power of Nine Tails itself. To the builder's credit, it had been the only time in Konoha's history that the walls were breached outright and thus the great divide had stood as Konoha's primary defensive line for the better part of two centuries.

They were also the location where Ranma Saotome had chosen to think. The eastern wall itself had seen little action save an instance of chakra spiders summoned during the siege of the Third Shinobi War, but that was the past. Ranma, however, knew nothing of the walls' history, chakra spiders and barely knew the basic facts surrounding of the Third Shinobi war. His thoughts were focused on the here and now.

And the future...

...Specifically his future within the Hidden Village of the Leaf. The supreme irony of the situation was not lost on him. His childhood. His art. Everything he knew had ideally shaped him for a world that didn't exist, and now it did. That was good, right? Everything he had known or been taught was not only directly relevant, but actually had a use beyond the occasional martial arts challenge. It was great until one dug a little deeper and realized all that skill had direct, lethal applications in this new ninja world. His art was no longer an abstract and being the best seemed like a naive afterthought in that light. It was a world where he was expected to kill at the drop of a hat. A world where fates worse than death awaited those who were captured.

Ranma shivered with the recollection and his body shifted from male to female unnoticed. Kurenai-sensei's technique had been a small, bitter taste of that._ 'And damned if I didn't ask for it,' _the now redheaded teen recalled dourly. With that bitter taste came the reality of the situation: Either she acceded to that reality and the training that went with it or she struck out on her own.

The martial artist's blue eyes swept over the chaotic sprawl of the village she had called home for the last two months, then out to the forest beyond. The wall she paced was fitting symbolism in her eyes- Accept the Konoha facts of life or leave and blaze her own trail. She paced closer to the forest side of the wall and stepped to the very edge, staring out into the wilderness without really seeing it. The tangibles were easy enough to determine. If she stayed she did things their way. Sure she could bend that a bit, but it was literally their way or the highway and she just happened to be standing at the crossroads of that very highway. On the plus side, she had allies to help her acclimate, techniques to learn and possibly even find a way home.

_'Then there's the road,' _Ranma revisited the alternate choice available to her. Forge a new path, find her own goddamn way home and to hell with their ninja reindeer games. Something in that line of thinking appealed to her independent nature and the remembrance of her domineering father, but...

"Tough choice, huh?"

Ranma turned around to find a familiar face. Spiky black hair, sharp facial features and a tan trench coat fluttering lightly in the wind. A hint of the kunoichi's skin tight armored fishnets could be seen beneath the trench coat, sealing her identity. Ranma gave her a nod.

"Here to talk me out of it, Anko-chan?" Ranma asked dully, turning back to the scenery beyond the wall.

"Not really," She shrugged, joining Ranma on the ledge with a smile that belied the seriousness of her presence. "Kill you if you leave? Yep. Talk you out of it? We all have our own choices to make."

The martial artist nodded with both of her points as the nin sat down for herself, legs dangling off the edge. Ranma joined her in slight mirth. "Threat to the village, hands and eyes and all that?"

"You know it," Anko grinned toothily, then began to dig around in her trench coat. A minute later two sticks of dango were produced and she proffered one of the syrupy orb laden treats to the redhead. Ranma looked at and sniffed with slight humor, taking the proffered sticky for herself as the woman continued. "Personally, I like the way you shake things up but if you have to move on, I understand. Been there, done that, have the mental scares to prove it."

"Your ol' man screwed you up too, huh?" Ranma snorted with dry humor. "You sure we ain't related?"

"You might say that," The woman replied in a subdued tone, taking a bite out of one of the three dango residing on her sticky. "I faced the same choice years back actually. Stay or go."

Ranma took note of the suddenly weighty topic and carefully posed the most obvious outcome given her presence. "So you stayed?"

"I left," There was a lengthy pause as the woman focused on the forest beyond, but the redhead saw the unfocused look in her eyes. Another moment passed and Anko was animated again, popping another of the chewy treats in her mouth while glancing up at Ranma. "Young and naive, you might say."

And yet here she was on the wall with her, implying that her choice had left her with bad memories of their own. Ranma merely nodded, unwilling to pry into the personal matters of somebody she was willing to call a friend. Instead, she turned back to her own problems.

"I mean, I can take all the ninja-ing crap," The martial artist commented absently, then shook her head irritably. "I don't even mind teachin' the girls, but dammit, I didn't have to deal with this crap back home."

"Just where are you from, kid?" Anko shook her head with a slight chuckle, staring up at him in wry amusement. "Every time you mention it, I picture some fairytale land with rainbows and dango growing on trees."

"Didn't think so at the time," Ranma merely nodded in reminiscence; especially since Anko's description of Nerima was certainly closer to accurate than her current here and now. Konoha. Fire Country. _'Wherever the hell I ended up,' _the pigtailed girl appended to her current geographic coordinate. Wherever the hell she had ended up, unrestrained violence and indiscriminate killing was apparently alive and well. Compared to that, Nerima _was _all rainbows and dango.

"Beat people down, sure," Ranma continued, more thinking her position aloud than actually explaining anything to anybody. "Kill em? Never had to go that far. Once, but that didn't count."

"And how exactly did that one not count?" Akno arched a skeptical eyebrow for the girl and her recollections.

"Dumbass resurrected himself," Ranma rolled her eyes, earning yet more staring from the kunoichi. "Figure going through puberty again is gonna be punishment enough."

Anko Mitarashi continued to stare at the redhead. The resurrection part sounded disturbingly familiar. The puberty? Not so. Still, she had to pose the next crucial question. "This dumbass... wasn't _snake-like _was he?"

"Phoenix-like." Ranma shook her head as if the question was in no way out of the ordinary.

"Ah," The black haired woman nodded slightly with a measure of relief. With one less problem to worry about, she returned to the topic at hand. "Don't know what to tell you. It's a ninja eat ninja world out there and I've seen some pretty fucked up shit. _Participated _in some pretty fucked up shit. Compared to where you're from..."

"...Dango trees and rainbows, right," Ranma nodded without enthusiasm, then focused on the topic that irritated her the most. "I'm just sick of dancin' to somebody else's tune. Was getting old in Nerima and now Kurenai sensei all over me with the classes."

"Classes?" Anko's interest perked up between bites.

"Some anti-seduction crap," Ranma grumbled and the kunoichi watched with overt curiosity as her friend melt into a boy before her very eyes. The now black haired martial artist didn't even seem to realize the change had taken place as he continued on the topic of her consternation. "Even worse, she kicked my ass with that technique of hers."

"The one with the vines." Anko nodded knowingly. She had sparred with the woman enough to know-

"The black dream one," Ranma all but growled and the corner stone he was griping was beginning to fracture within his fingers. The nin beside him blinked, forming a silent "oooh' with her lips as the boy began to tremble. Ranma's blue-gray eyes flashed upon her. "I... she... Dammit, I couldn't stop it! I shouldn't have to deal with this crap to begin with and I couldn't do a damn thing to resist it!"

Anko stared at the agitated boy, who immediately fluctuated genders, sporting a bright red crop of hair before collapsing back into a young boy. While it was frankly amazing to watch his bloodline in action, there was a more pressing issue at hand and this time she took it utterly seriously.

"Helplessness? Completely at the mercy of your abductors?" Anko questions were completely rhetorical as she named the techniques primary attributes. "Hints of sexual obedience. Enjoyment. Servitude." Ranma seemed to tremble with each point and Anko sighed without enthusiasm. "Yeah, that's it. Common interrogation tactic. Break the mind and the body will eventually follow."

The stone corner in the pigtailed boys left hand crumbled to porous rubble. He eyes the woman with an accusing countenance. "Ya seem to know a lot about this."

"I've done it." Anko shrugged with indifference, then looked out over the forest beyond. "Done it and had it done."

The first response was met with an initial fount of indignation, immediately followed by a wide eyed stare. "Had it done?"

The woman simply nodded her head lolling lazily back to Ranma. "Like I said, it's a nin eat nin world. Put in enough missions and its bound to happen sooner or later."

"You make it sound like it's just the weather changin' or somethin'." Ranma stared in dry disbelief, then shook her own head. Still, he was staring at somebody who had been there, done that and was still around to tell the tale. The circumstances around his own mental collapse were a potent enough lesson and for once, he wasn't above asking for advice. Counsel._ Help._

"How... eh, how did you deal with that, anyway?"

Anko studied the black haired boy next to her for a moment before deciding on an answer. "The SAS guys will teach you compartmentalization techniques. Mind games. Self hypnosis. I say screw that."

Ranma blinked with slight surprise, having fully expected the woman next to him to tow the party line.

"Mental compartmentalization can be compromised. Mind games defeated. Hypnosis broken," Anko explained while chewing on the stick that used to hold her favorite treat. Her gaze took on a sinister countenance and she spit the stick out, letting it tumble down the wall. "Fight fire with fire. Play their game. _Enjoy it. _And when they're done trying to mind fuck you, rip their goddamn balls off."

Ranma simply stared in disbelief and the first words out of his mouth were to pass her experience off as some sort of joke, but deep down he knew better. Those were the words that came out of his mouth instead. "You ain't kidding, are you?"

"It means knowing yourself," the spiky haired kunoichi stated, her serious gaze never leaving the boy. "It means making friends with those dark, ecchi fantasies you would otherwise never admit to another living soul so they don't come as a complete shock when they're used against you."

Ranma simply could not stop staring. The woman's advice was shocking. Unexpected. _Alien._And most surprising of all, not so. Sure the content of her words were scandalous, but the very idea found an unexpected ally within the roots of his thought process; one that he had been raised with since childhood.

_Anything Goes._

Anko's advice was simple at its core: Take the enemies techniques and adapt them for his own purposes. It wasn't simply a defensive measure either. It allowed the afflicted to flow from defense to offense whereas the only other alternative offered so far had him hunkering down behind a wall of techniques, hypnosis and mind tricks until it was all over. How to acclimate himself to such a feat was almost inconceivable and utterly embarrassing to comprehend, but that same portion of Ranma's mind that analyzed techniques and combat strategy saw the potential in the kunoichi's explanation.

"With that bloodline, I'd imagine you'd have more kinks than most." The woman smirked after she tired of the boy's incredulous staring, causing him to nearly topple off the wall choking. When he finally recovered, it was a redhead that regained her balance still choking on the spittle she had managed to inhale. Anko's gaze turned downright sultry. "I'd be happy to help you out. All you have to do is ask."

"I'm thirteen right now!" The agitated girl squawked, then looked down at herself as if just realizing something was amiss. Somewhere during their conversation she had changed and Ranma shuffled back several steps from the leering woman. "And a girl, dammit!"

Anko Held the smoldering gaze for a moment before chuckling herself.

"Way too easy," She sniffed with humor, folding her arms as Ranma's expression turned dour. The flirty edge returned to her smile, however. "Don't worry, we'll work on that too."

"Paybacks a bitch," Ranma grumbled, prompting the kunoichi to look entirely too pleased with herself.

"Oh, so girl on girl then?" Anko teased causing Ranma's face to scrunch up in cute, flushed frustration.

"I _so_hate you."

"Liar," Anko grinned. "You know-"

A single kunai tumbled up over the ledge from the village side of the wall and both martial artist and kunoichi watched as it bounced with a metallic clink between them while the tag tied to the counter weight ring burned down. It's identification as a smoke tag was instantaneous and it consumed itself less than a second later, promptly detonating with a hollow thud in a five meter cloud of smoke that billowed around the pair. Shadows dropped in around Ranma and Anko and the smoke cleared seconds later.

"FOUND YOU!"

While Ranma Saotome stared at the source of the loud proclamation, she could have been blindfolded and still recognized the light female lilt punctuated by course male grammar immediately. Naruto Uzumaki stood before her as a blond female pointing an almost accusing finger at the surprised martial artist. Beside him another blond girl with her hair pulled back into a pony tail who stood triumphantly; hands on her hips.

"Team thirteen..."

"...Has arrived!" Ten Ten finished Ino's boisterous statement. Hinata nodded with surprisingly firm resolve and Ranma's study flicked between the three girls that represented her defacto team and their neo-girl tagalong. She turned back to Anko, who likewise stared.

"You put them up to this, didn't you?" Ranma accused doubtfully and Anko merely shook her head.

"Clueless as you are, kid." The kunoichi confirmed and both turned back to the girls just in time for Naruto's bluster.

"So you _are _trying to leave!" Naruto protested, balling his fists in overly obvious indignation. "Well you can't!"

"I can't?" Ranma simply arched an eyebrow. Ino answered the skeptical challenge in kind.

"We won't _let _you." She folded her arms defiantly. Hinata produced another firm nod, followed by Ten Ten's agreement.

"And... And dammit, I won't forgive you if you do!" Naruto stomped forward, invading the redhead's personal space. The blond haired neo-girl's eyes flashed with anger and betrayal. "You made me a promise, so you can't just leave!"

"And you're our sensei!" Ten-Ten added another metaphysical weight onto Ranma's conscience. She watched the four girls stare back, then glanced over at Anko who shrugged.

"Please don't go, Saotome-sama."

Ranma's gaze flicked back to the girls and found Hinata kneeling of all things, prostrating herself on the stone surface and eyes low. The martial artist shook her head, squinting her eyes at the injustice of it all. "Oh for cryin' out loud, get up already."

The girl failed to move and the accusing stares from her teammates continued unabated. Ranma ignored them in favor of the kneeling Hyuuga and finally gave in to the railroad spike of guilt that came with the kneeling girl. "I ain't goin' nowhere, Nata-chan."

The girl's milky gaze lifted ever so slightly from the stone to look up at Ranma. "R-really?"

"Ask Anko-chan here," Ranma jabbed a thumb to the kunoichi beside her, who nodded happily.

"Don't worry. I'll kill her if she does." the black haired kunoichi replied sunnily.

"See?" Ranma nodded agreeably. Though her decision had been made only minutes before their arrival, the girls had reminded her of something important. She had an _obligation _to them. While she theoretically could just walk out on it...

_'...I'd just be like my old man,' _She realized soberly, and that realization left a bitter taste in the redhead's thoughts. Her gaze drifted over the hopeful girls, just knowing that her father had been in the exact same position at one time, if not several. The decision had already been made grudgingly, but it was their eyes that told her she had made the right one...

...however distasteful the cost.

"Trainin's still cancelled for the day," The redhead reminded them. "Go take a break."

"Don't worry, sensei!" Naruto bounced eagerly now that all was right with the world once more. "Ino said we'll train by ourselves!"

"She did, did she?" Ranma's study flicked over to the other blond of the group and her crestfallen expression that plainly indicated she wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Naruto about it. The redhead shrugged regardless. "Don't go overboard then. Try catchin' Hinata some more, but I'm gonna let her hit back this time if she wants."

The normally shy Hyuuga heir cocked her head as if considering the idea, then looked down their ranks to focus squarely on Ino. Ino's eyes widened with Hintata's purposeful eye contact while the thought that maybe the girl they couldn't even touch would actually be hitting back today. Hitting _her _today. Ranma didn't notice the consternation and continued. "Alright, then scat. Gotta wrap things up here."

Ten-Ten smiled with the satisfaction of a mission well completed. She palmed a tagged kunai and turned to the rest of the girls. "Team Thirteen... _Departs!_"

She flicked the kunai into the stone at her feet and it detonated a second later, obscuring Ranma's team from sight. When the smoke cleared moments later, the four girls were nowhere to be found atop the wall.

"They've got a flair for the dramatic, that's for sure," Their antics incited Anko to chuckle and she eyed Ranma with amusement. "Wherever did they get that from?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Ranma rolled her eyes, feigning ignorance. She let the humor drift between them for a moment before turning back to the more serious topic. "So about that wrap up...?"

"We'll drop by the Old Man's office, he'll read you the riot act and we'll be good to go." The special jounin advised easily.

"Don't forget the stare of guilt," Ranma shook her head, not looking forward to another trip to the principal's office as she stepped toward the city side of the walls edge.

"I thought that implied," Anko replied cheekily and both jumped off the wall's ledge in tandem, disappearing from sight

Half a kilometer away a Hiashi Hyuga watched from a rooftop that allowed him a high enough vantage point to deploy his Byakugan with little to no obstruction from the structures around his position. Beside him, two nins wearing masks flanked him, patiently waiting for clan head's orders. All three had watched the meeting atop the wall, though it was only Hiashi himself that would be able to track their quarry if he- now she -had decided to activate her stealth jutsu and abandon the village.

Apparently that wouldn't be necessary.

"We will stand down," He ordered stoically, deactivating the his own technique. Both ANBU nodded and instantly evaporated into little more than leaves tumbling with the wind, leaving the clan head alone to reflect on what he had witnessed. It was... _enlightening_; especially to see his daughter bow down before somebody who was all but a nobody within the village. On one hand it rankled Hiashi that his own blood would bow before another. On the other...

...On the other, Hinata Hyuga had done so voluntarily. Out of respect.

Of course, the Hiashi knew he could achieve the same results, but mostly through his title as clan leader and father figure. Respect... He wasn't sure he had that anymore where Hinata was concerned. It also indicated an unforeseen depth in the child that had bested him in their mutual duel. Hiashi Hyuga continued to watch the two females as they hopped from rooftop to rooftop, focusing on the redhead in particular with one thought on his mind.

_Fascinating._

* * *

"**W**e must stop meeting like this Saotome-san." The Third Hokage advised flatly, not even bothering to look up from the scroll he was studying. He took a moment to dip a nearby fude into an ink well for a quick brush stroke across the scroll. He made another such stroke then looked up, his wizened gaze piercing the redheaded girl without humor. "No, really. This _must_ _stop_."

Ranma Saotome, displaced heir to the Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū simply nodded without word. Sarutobi took note of the atypical response and continued, reading through the report. "Your reaction to Yuhi-san's challenge was hardly positive. Of the two choices offered, you chose a third alternative... A very _unwise_third alternative."

Another brisk nod and Professor continue to let his stare burrow into the girl, then drift to the women flanking her. To Ranma's left was a kunoichi clad in a red and white yukata-like wrap standing at passive attention. To her right was another wearing a trenchcoat; tense, but also standing at attention. Sautobi's gaze flicked back to Ranma. "Would you like to say anything in your defense, Saotome-san?"

Sarutobi watched the girl cock her head slightly as if composing her thoughts- more atypical behavior in his opinion -pursing her lips before finally choosing to speak.

"I... I've got issues," Ranma hesitated, her own eyes flicking from the village leader to the floor and back. She took another moment to pick over her words before speaking again. "All of this... Especially with Yuhi-sensei... It ain't easy for me."

Even as the Hokage continued to level a dire gaze upon the girl, it didn't take a God of Shinobi to realize how humbling just stating that aloud must have been for the girl. He returned his attention to the scroll and made several more brush strokes. He glanced back up briefly. "Would it be safe to assume you will not be availing yourself to the third alternative you have created for yourself?"

"Wouldn't be here if I was." Ranma advised evenly. The remark could have been interpreted as sarcasm if not for the complete lack of enthusiasm in her tone.

"No, you wouldn't." Sautobi agreed solemnly. "You would, in fact, be dead. Your actions would have forced Mitarashi-san to eliminate you. Failing that, one of the several teams of ANBU standing by for just such a contingency would have eliminated you." Ranma remained silent and expressionless as the village leader continued. "As you were advised upon your arrival, I cannot and will not abide by threats to my people and their home. That which resides inside of you- in the hands of another -represents a potent one."

No challenge met his words and he held his gaze another moment before it softened ever so slightly. "That said, I recognize ones challenges when I see them. Your bloodline is unique to say the least and our village holds no analogs to it in any way, shape or form. Even our physicians agree that the psychological impact must be... _strenuous_."

"That's one way to put it," Ranma agreed in a humorless tone.

"As such, I have chosen to allow this trespass to remain unofficial, which brings us back to the original two options," The Hokage returned to the matter at hand, still the visage of complete seriousness. "You were issued a challenge; a challenge which you accepted and failed. You will now make a choice which _will be_quite official: Accept SAS training voluntarily or retire from any and all activities pertaining to the Konoha Shinobi Corps, including the special instruction you are currently engaged in."

"I'll take the SAS courses, Hokage-san," Ranma replied without hesitation, prompting the Third to redouble the intensity of his stare.

"Is that your final answer, Saotome-san?" The older man questioned pointedly. "We will _not _be having another conversation along these lines."

"Yeah, I'm-"

"I'll make sure she gets the education she needs, Hokage-sama," All eyes turned to the Anko Mitarashi, who was politely holding up her hand. Sarutobi's eyebrow raised skeptically.

"Excuse me?" He blinked, unsure of what was happening while Ranma in turn was staring at her with wide eyes.

"We had a talk and both agree she'll need special instruction," Anko smiled politely, causing Ranma to choke outright. "Given her unique situation, of course."

"What?!" Ranma was finally able to blurted as Anko continued

"Is that..._wise?_Anko-chan?" Kurenai blinked rapidly, favoring her contemporary with uncertain red eyes.

"Of course it is," the special Jounin waved away her concern and turned her attention back to the Hokage. "I hold all the required SAS instructor certifications..."

"If not the sanity," the redhead mumbled and the kunoichi patted her head, continuing regardless.

"...and will take full responsibility for Saotome-san's training." One male and two females continued to stare into the woman for a full thirty seconds. The Hokage was the first to break his incredulity, shaking his head.

"This cannot be one of my better ideas. Saotome-san?" Ranma's head snapped from the snake jounin to the Third, her eyes still wide. "The choice is yours to accept or decline traditional SAS training or Mitarashi-san's... _specialized _instruction."

Ranma's head slowly swiveled back to the grinning woman. Anko nodded at the girl. "You trust me, right kid?"

Ranma opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. She took a deep, resigned breath as if she were being lead off to her own personal firing squad. The redhead slowly turned back to the Hokage and answered.

"I accept Mitarashi-san's specialized instruction."

Sarutobi continued to stare, waiting for the girl to back out of her answer. After several second, it became obvious no further response would be forth coming as the girl's face slipped back into one of fated resolve. Come hell or high water, Ranma had apparently resigned herself to do this and with Anko Mitarashi's help no less. The fact was not lost on the Hokage as his study alternated between the pair. She trusted the special jounin. Not simply trusted, but was placing a great deal of mental baggage in her care unless he missed his guess, and Anko wasn't known to be the gentle sort...

...or the type to make friends easily.

The Third made a mental note to reassign Saotome's overwatch to somebody else and returned his attention to the women standing before him. "Then I will consider this matter closed. Mitarashi-san, I expect weekly progress reports. Saotome-san, I expect progress _to _report."

The reply came simultaneously.

"Yes, Hokage-san."  
"Affirmative Hokage-sama."

"Mitarashi-san will remain behind," Sarutobi ordered, wrapping up the meeting. "Yuhi-san, Saotome-san; dismissed."

Kurenai turned to leave first, exiting through the curtain partition then Ranma, who was stopped by a light touch on her shoulder. Anko stared down at redhead with a pleasant, if somewhat serious smile. "Don't be too hard on her."

Ranma processed her request and nodded, following Kurenai Yuhi out.

* * *

**I**no Yamanaka was by no means a taijutsu specialist. While her family was generally proficient in the skill as all ninja were expected to be, it was a given that the Yamanaka clan was destined for other activities within the Konoha Shinobi Corps; namely those pertaining to intelligence and interrogation. Taijutsu and front line hand to hand combat were generally seen as best left to others by and large, while the Yamanakas disrupted their opposition from behind those ranks.

In spite of these facts and the nature of her techniques, she was on the front lines. She was practicing taijutsu and she was getting her ass very much _kicked_.

Ino retreated back two steps as the knife edge of a hand blew past her, then profiled right as its cousin swept into join the battle. The blond jumped right desperately and felt the impact jar her shoulder painfully. The Yamanaka air took the impact and rolled with it, reducing its potential while desperately attempting to extricate herself from the combination. Hinata Hyuuga registered the attempt and slid left to cut off Ino's withdrawal, and the blond quickly found herself re-engaged.

She was the last.

She had been _saved _for last.

Ten-Ten had attempted to corner the black haired girl with her kunai while Naruto saturated her defenses with clones. The clones didn't last all of ten seconds and Ino watched as Hinata danced through the blades in a manner vaguely reminiscent of their sensei to take their ranged specialist out in hand to hand combat. The two wooden practice ninjato Ten-Ten deployed must have come as a surprise to the girl, but one touch each was all it took to halve the wooden lengths, breach her guard and gently- relatively speaking -drop Ten Ten.

Ino herself had attempted several taijutsu interventions on both Naruto's and Ten-Ten' behalf, all of which were summarily ignored by Hinata as another wave of shadow clones swept in. Hollow pops filled the air as the Hyuga heir shifted through the clone ranks to destroy them with near impunity. Wisps of vapor surrounded Ino and it was only a shadow perceived out of the corner of her peripheral vision that warned her of the incoming threat.

Even as she dodged and threw out desperate counterattacks, Ino was only now realizing just how right their sensei was. She had thought Sasuke Uchiha was the preeminent taijustsu specialist of their class and their shy team mate had to have ranked somewhere near the back. To rank Hinata Hyuga as number one? Saotome-sensei had to be nuts. But she wasn't.

In fact, she was _dead on_.

Another knife edged hand found her abdomen. It wasn't enough to disable her by any means, but it _hurt_ and Ino danced away again, doing the only thing she could in the face of the Hyuga's onslaught:_ Retreat_. A detached portion of her brain not wallowing in the incredulity of the situation noted that something indefinable had changed and she was on the receiving end of it. In fact, Ino was now certain that Hinata could end their sparring at any time, but was purposely drawing it out. Making her sweat. Making her hurt.

_Why?!_

The emotionless face blurring to and fro before her told her nothing and in that moment, Hinata apparently tired of playing. The blond attempted another counter, pushing an open handed strike into the girl, only to catch air as Hinata floated around it, then the follow-up kick. The back of the black haired girl's hand slapped Ino's leg aside to destabilize her balance, even as her right hand caught the outstretched punch. The Hyuga then seemed to glide straight on past her team mate, taking the arm with her while entangling the Yamanaka's left leg with her own.

The end result was the complete destabilization of Ino's stance. The blond floated through mid air for half a second before gravity claimed its prize and deposited the blond haired girl back onto the grassy earth. Ino bounced once and tumbled flat on her back with a wince. When she finally opened her eyes again, she saw blue sky...

...And the impassive mask of Hinata Hyuga staring down at her. Her solid irises held their gaze for another moment before the girl turned to walk away while Ino tracked her with wide eyes. The normally shy genin made it another two steps before stopping, turning halfway around to address Ino directly for the first time. Her tone was firm in spite of the stutter inherent in her voice.

"Naruto... Naruto-kun is mine. Please remember that."

* * *

**Author's Notes**  
Most of you know by now that we've had a baby boy recently, which has really screwed up my writing schedule. Changing diapers and feedings all throughout the day will do that. I am, of course, still alive and working on stuff. For previews and snippets, head on out to **Fanfiction Federation**. You can google it since it should be the very first hit. Aside from that, I'll be working on Hild and Causality, maybe some ATA. And possible some other stuff I shouldn't be working on, but alas. Thanks for hanging in there, peeps :)

**The Great Wall; **I'm usually met with healthy skepticism when I insist that the walls of Konoha are at least 100-150ft high. To that I simply point said people to any picture in manga (or anime for that matter) that shows these walls. Note that any person in the same frame is usually a speck. The walls are huge and the gates are no less than 50ft high themselves. Thanks to **Dwarde** for pointing out a conversion error I made.

**Special Thanks; **To the regulars of course- **Materia Blade, Dragon Dagger, Slade13** and **DCG**, as well as the people on F3.


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